Practice sentence for spotting bugs asked in SBI PO - GeeksforGeeks (2023)

One of the most well-known exams for bank candidates is the State Bank of India PO exam. SBI PO offers a higher salary package than other banking positions, among other benefits. Passing the SBI PO exam with flying colors and getting a permanent job is undoubtedly not an easy task. But if you are determined to get into the SBI, you must take the exam at all costs.

In order to pass the SBI PO exam you need to focus on all the subjects in the syllabus and now we are going to help you prepare by providing you with a set of practice spotting questions, which follow the English language section of the resemble exam.

Direction (1-9): In each of the following questions, four sentences are given and you must choose the one that contains some or all of the grammatical errors. If all four sentences given are correct, select Option – E as your choice.

1.
A. She just had her carpenter fix her doors.
B. She hasn't had her carpenter fix her doors yet.
C. She hasn't had her doors repaired by the carpenter yet.
D. She hasn't had her doors repaired by the carpenter yet.
E. None of the above.

Answer: Option – D
Solution:

"Yet" means that everything we expected has or has not happened. The present perfect is used because it describes a specific event. It is usually placed at the end of a sentence. Already indicates that something happened earlier than expected. Since the action (mending) is still completed, we cannot use it. This particular example uses the verb "have" as both an auxiliary and main verb. The main verb is followed by an object (the door). Therefore the correct answer is D.

2.
A. Everything I have described has happened in the last four decades.
B. Distraught at the symptoms of Dunlaps disease (his stomach spilled over his belt); Santa Claus went to Weight Watchers.
C. As it was a pleasant morning, he went for a walk.
D. Disputes are maintained by those who have nothing else to do. You should visit France if you have been to London.
E. All are correct.

Answer: Possibility – B
Solution:"Have taken" should be replaced with "has taken" in option A.Option B is grammatically correct. For option C, "It" must be removed. "Who are" should be replaced with "who have" in option D. In option E, "had been" is replaced by "when you leave". Therefore, option B is the correct answer.

3.
A. While not many prefer rules, they do bring a sense of structure to an otherwise chaotic existence.
B. Discipline, integrity and morality are the three rungs that form the fundamental foundation of the school.
C. She sat thoughtfully at her desk, trying to recall her childhood memories so she could write them down.
D. For Sam, the start of exam season was marked by a messy table and a whiteboard scrawled behind the recognition.
E. All are correct.

Answer: Possibility - A
Solution:

Statement B: The error lies in the use of the singular verb "is" to refer to three nouns joined by the conjunction "and" (when two or more nouns joined by the conjunction "and" must a plural verb can be used), leading to a discord in the subject-verb agreement.

Statement C: The error lies in using the adjective "thoughtful" to qualify the preceding verb "sat". Replacing it with the adverb “thoughtful” makes the sentence grammatically correct and contextually meaningful.

Statement D: The error lies in using the preposition behind, meaning behind, instead of the preposition beyond, meaning further away. Therefore, option "A" is the correct answer.

4.
A. She had a habit of changing her personality depending on who she interacted with.
B. Additional benefits of the package included the provision of a complimentary breakfast buffet.
C. The end of town bed and breakfast was known for its hospitality as much as it was a haunted house.
D. Illegal recreational drug use may aggravate the crisis rather than solve the drug abuse problem.
E. All are correct.

Answer: E
Solution:All given sentences make contextual sense and are grammatically correct. Therefore, option E is the correct answer.

5.
A. The bouquet was adorned with garden fresh chrysanthemums, roses and lilies and adorned with a wicker basket.
B. The decorations on the crown made it a heavy burden on the monarch, both literally and figuratively.
C. Stella was impatient for the holiday and rightly heartbroken when the flight was cancelled.
D. The excavation revealed the remains of a civilization dating back to the eleventh century.
E. All are correct.

Answer: Possibility - A
Solution:

Statement B: The error lies in using the adjective "figurative" instead of the adverb "figuratively", making the sentence grammatically incorrect.

Statement C: The error lies in using the adjective "justified" instead of the adverb "justified" to better qualify the following adjective "broken heart".

Statement D: The error lies in using the preposition 'of', meaning 'through the action or presence of', instead of the preposition 'of', meaning that (something) indicates an ancestral source or origin of descent.

Therefore, option C is the correct answer.

6.
A. 17th century England was rich in dandies and beauties but lacked in decent people.
B. Aristocracy comes with its own hypocrisy, which makes the faults of the common man seem shameful.
C. The pendant glittered in the sun and drew many envious looks.
D. Fancy cutlery has always been attractive, but by the mid-1950s, those with floral designs were all the rage.
E. All are correct.

Answer: Possibility - A
Solution:

Statement B: The error lies in using the adjective "shameful" instead of the noun "shame", making its use contextually wrong.

Statement C: When using the phrase "many a", it is common to use a singular noun, in this case "eye", to complement it.

Statement D: The error lies in using the verb "raging" instead of the noun "rage" to form the adjective phrase "all the rage", meaning something that is trending at the moment.

Therefore, option A is the correct answer.

7.
A. While learning cursive at school may seem redundant, it does contribute to good penmanship among those who have learned it well.
B. Envelopes embossed with wax seals, containing Yellow Pages letters within themselves, will never go out of style.
C. Children should be accustomed to tidying up after themselves from an early age.
D. Amazing results are achieved when workstations are open but unobstructed by booth walls.
E. All are correct.

Answer: Possibility – B
Solution:

Statement A: The error lies in using the preposition "between" instead of the more appropriate "among" to denote a quality that is achieved by many. The preposition "between" is used to indicate that something exists between two people, while "among" is used to indicate that it exists between more than two people.

Statement C: The error lies in using the wrong form of the verb "inculcate", which must be "inculcated" in its past participle in order to better complement the modal "should be".

Statement D: The error lies in the use of the contradictory conjunction "but" to connect the complementary terms "open" and "unencumbered by cabin walls".

Therefore, option B is the correct answer.

8.
A. It is not sufficient to grant maternity leave to female employees if the company does not provide them with social security and maternity benefits.
B. Grandma's peach cobblers were always the highlight of Thanksgiving dinner.
C. The stuffed turkey burned beyond recognition and took away the poor swing set by the stove.
D. Heavy snowfall caused air traffic to Srinagar to be suspended and vehicle traffic on the Jammu-Srinagar highway to be suspended.
E. All are correct.

Answer: Possibility – B
Solution:

Statement A: The particle "to" is always followed by the base form of the verb, in this case "give" to form an infinitive.

Statement C: The error lies in using the verb "recognize" instead of the noun "acknowledge" to denote the condition of the turkey.

Statement D: The particle “to” is always followed by the base form of the verb, in this case “shut” to form an infinitive. Therefore, the use of the word "shutting" is contextually incorrect.

Therefore, option B is the correct answer.

9.
A. Her sudden suspension from school can be attributed to her erratic school attendance and poor academic performance.
B. Reverse psychology may not be a clinically accepted term, but it certainly helps explain why people want to do the things they have been categorically told not to do.
C. Jumping into muddy ditches during the monsoons is a favorite among children who are not yet old enough to consider that the ditch may actually be home to venomous snakes.
D. Visiting the pyramids in Egypt and deciphering the ancient spells surrounding them was the highlight of Ron's vacation.
E. When the manager came to the next candidate for the job, the candidate stood up to shake the manager's hand.

Answer: Possibility - A
Solution:

Statement B: The error lies in using the adjective "categorical" instead of the adverb "categorical" to better qualify the following verb "asked".

Statement C: The error lies in the incorrect use of the adjective "possible" instead of the noun "possible". "Possibility" is better qualified by the preceding adjective "real" and appropriately fits the context of the sentence.

Statement D: The error lies in the use of the preposition "at" to indicate the country "Egypt". When denoting countries, continents, etc., it is common to use the preposition "in".

Statement E: The error lies in the last part of the sentence, where "Manager's" should be used instead of "Manager" to indicate possession and whose hand the candidate stood up to shake.

Therefore, option A is the correct answer.

Direction (10-15): Four directions are given at A, B, C, and D below. There may be some errors in any of the given statements. Mark the wrong statement as the answer. If all statements are false, mark option E, i.e. H. "All are wrong," as the answer.

10.
A. The reason behind MAD was that none of us will start a war if we can destroy the Soviets or the Chinese and they can destroy us in turn.
B. If we can destroy the Soviets or the Chinese and they can destroy us in turn, then none of us will start a war was the reason for MAD.
C. None of us will start a war if we can destroy the Soviets or the Chinese and they in turn can destroy us, which was the reason for MAD.
D. The reason that if we can crush the Soviets or the Chinese and they in turn can crush us, none of us will start a war was given by MAD.
E. All are wrong.

Answer: Possibility - A
Solution: The error lies in the statement mentioned in option A. Here the plural verb "were" does not seem to agree with the singular subject "reason". The subject "reason" is singular in its form, while the verb "were" is usually used for plural subjects.

11.
A. The California genocide is one of the most heinous chapters in the state's troubled racial history, which includes forced sterilizations of people of Mexican descent.
B. In the state's troubled racial history, one of the most heinous chapters is the California genocide, which also includes forced sterilizations of people of Mexican descent.
C. The California genocide is one of the most heinous chapters in the state's troubled racial history, which includes forced sterilizations of people of Mexican descent.
D. One of the most heinous chapters in the state's troubled racial history is the California genocide, which includes the forced sterilization of people of Mexican descent.
E. All are wrong.

Answer: Option – D
Solution: The error is in option D. There are two errors in this sentence. First, the phrase "One of" would be followed by the plural subjects (chapters), but the auxiliary verb would match "One". Therefore, "are" must be replaced by "is". In the second sentence, the verb "include" should be in the singular form (includes), since the subject here is "genocide," which is singular.

12.
A. Some theorists believe that the early Roman Catholic Church may have chosen the same date for Christmas to replace the pagan rituals of Mithra, although many Christian scholars dispute this.
B. Although many Christian scholars dispute this, some theorists believe that the early Roman Catholic Church may have chosen the same date for Christmas to replace the pagan rituals of Mithra.
C. The Roman Catholic Church may have chosen the same date for Christmas to replace pagan rituals of Mithra, some theorists believe, although many Christian scholars dispute this.
D. Although many Christian scholars dispute this, the early Roman Catholic Church may have chosen the same date for Christmas to replace the pagan rituals of Mithra, which some theorists believe.
E. All are wrong.

Answer: Option - C
Solution: The error is in option C. "I chose" is a grammatically incorrect term in the statement. To make the present perfect, auxiliary verbs like "have" are used before past participles like "selected". To make the sentence valid, the tense of the verb “choose” must be changed from simple past to past participle. Therefore, option C is the correct answer.

13.
A. Another blow came when the Vandals conquered North Africa and began disrupting the Empire's trade by roaming the Mediterranean as pirates in the fifth century.
B. Another blow came in the fifth century when the Vandals conquered North Africa and began disrupting the Empire's trade by roaming the Mediterranean as pirates.
C. Another blow came when the Vandals conquered North Africa in the fifth century and began disrupting the Empire's trade by roaming the Mediterranean as pirates.
D. Another blow came in the fifth century when the Vandals conquered North Africa and began disrupting the Empire's trade by roaming the Mediterranean as pirates.
E. All are wrong.

Answer: Possibility - A
Solution: Using the word "really" after "prowling" sounds wrong. Although the word is used as an adverb in the sentence, it is logically and grammatically inconsistent with "prowling". Therefore, option A is the correct answer.

14.
A. In the second half of the 1930s, Stalin initiated the Great Purge, a series of campaigns aimed at ridding the Communist Party, the military, and other sections of Soviet society of those he saw as threats.
B. In the second half of the 1930s, Stalin instituted the Great Purge with a series of campaigns aimed at eliminating those from the Communist Party, the military, and other sections of Soviet society that he viewed as a threat.
C. Stalin initiated the Great Purge in the second half of the 1930s, a series of campaigns aimed at ridding the Communist Party, the military, and other sections of Soviet society of those he saw as threats.
D. In order to rid the Communist Party, the military, and other sections of Soviet society of those he saw as a threat, Stalin instituted the Great Purge in the second half of the 1930s.
E. All are wrong.

Answer: Possibility – B
Solution: The error lies in option B. Here the use of 'unfasten' was done incorrectly. The mistake made in the statement in Option B is the grammatical use of "get rid" followed by: "Campaigns aimed at ridding the Communist Party, the military and other sections of Soviet society of those who... he saw as a threat". The phrase "get rid of" is grammatically incorrect.

fifteen.
A. Unused, unloved and unprotected, the oak cottages suffered rot and decay while some were destroyed by bombing during World War II and many were later bulldozed as part of road widening plans.
B. The oak cottages suffered rot and decay while some were destroyed by bombs during WWII, many were later bulldozed in road widening plans as unused, unloved and unprotected.
C. The Oak Cottages suffered from decay and decay as they were unused, unloved and unprotected while some were destroyed by bombs during World War II and many were later bulldozed as part of road widening plans.
D. Bombed during World War II, unused, unloved and unprotected, the oak cottages suffered rot and decay while many were later bulldozed as part of road widening plans.
E. All are wrong.

Answer: Option – D
Solution: In option D, using the word "much" with the "oak huts" is incorrect, since "much" can only be used with uncountable nouns. It should be replaced with "many". Therefore, option D is correct.