A verb is one of the main parts of a sentence or question in English. In fact, you can't have a sentence or a question without a verb! That's how important these “action” parts of speech are. The verb signals an action, an occurrence, or a state of being.
This Exercise will be very helpful while solving the questions of Spotting Errors and Fill in the blanks.
EXERCISE 1
1. He was borne of poor parents, / but brought up / in an affluent family. / No error.
2. The University was / found in 1950 / when India was not self dependent in many aspects. / No error.
3. I complaint against him / as in spite of my repeated warnings /he failed to mend his ways. / No error.
4. Failure must not have / permanent affect on a person / because only the tough survive. / No error.
5. He lied on the grass / for hours / enjoying the cool breeze . / No error.
6. Their arguments being at cross____________ will in no way further the cause.
a)purposes b)road c)bar d)over
7. We must rest assured that our sorrows, if__________, are short__________.
a) comes, time b)faced, impact c)any, lived d)have, period
8. When a period of joy___________ us, we maintain our__________and mental peace.
a)begets, dreams b)befits, body c) awaits, equipoise d) bemoans, skills
9. When you are living with your___________ values, you can be honest, straight-forward and____________.
a)core, upfront b)inherited, distinct c)innate, durable d)concentrated, believed
10. Harassment is just plain_________. There is never a good__________for it.
a) wrong, excuse b) murder, command c)torture, remedy d)kill, magic
SOLUTION 1
1. He was born of poor parents, but brought up in an affluent family.
Explanation – V3 of bear (to produce off springs) is born . V3 of bear (to tolerate) is borne.
2. The University was founded in 1950 when India was not self dependent in many aspects.
Explanation –V3 of found (to establish) is founded.
3. I complained against him as in spite of my repeated warnings he failed to mend his ways.
Explanation – V2/V3 of complain is complained. Complaint is a Noun.
4. Failure must not have permanent effect on a person because only the tough survive.
Explanation – Use effect (Noun) in place of affect (verb).
5. He lay on the grass for hours enjoying the cool breeze .
Explanation – Use lay in place of lied.
6. purposes
7. any, lived
8.awaits, equipoise
9. core, upfront
10. wrong, excuse
EXERCISE 2
1. India is determined /2) to defeat Pakistan /3) in the war proxy /4) it has unleashed in Kashmir. /5) No error
2. As when the stranger entered /2) the town he was met by a policeman /3) who asked him /4) if he was a traveller. /5) No error
3. The general told his /2) mutinous troops that /3) they had charged disgrace /4) upon a famous regiment. /5) No error
4. He cautioned his sons /2) not to quarrel amongst /3) themselves when he was dead /4) but to remain united. /5) No error
5. 1) The traveller asked /2) the peasant if he could /3) tell him the way /4) to the nearest inn. /5) No error
6. Sadly, this year
/2) the monsoon has /3) failed, causing a famine when the state /4) is
still reeling from the economic crunch. / No error
7. Whether the
fundamentalists like it or not, /2) the demand of human rights groups
/3) to put an end to discriminations /4) against women is becoming
even more shrill. / No error
8. The driver had /2) sounded the /3) horn thrice /4) No error
9. The course of
events /2) took a turn for the worst /3) when the policy to be
implemented /4) was negated by the House. / No error
10. We lost twenty precious minutes /2) having to change a tyre, /3) otherwise we would have made it /4) well on time. / No error
SOLUTION 2
1. India is determined to defeat Pakistan in the proxy war it has unleashed in Kashmir.
2. As the stranger entered the town he was met by a policeman who asked him if he was a traveller.
3. The general told his mutinous troops that they had brought disgrace upon a famous regiment.
4. He advised his sons not to quarrel amongst themselves when he was dead but to remain united.
5. No error
6. Sadly, this year the monsoon has failed, causing a famine when the state is still reeling under the economic crunch.
7. Whether the fundamentalists like it or not,
the demand of human rights groups to put an end to discrimination
against women is becoming even more shrill.
8. No error
9. The course of events took a turn for worse when the policy to be implemented was negated by the House.
10. We lost twenty precious minutes having in changing a tyre, otherwise we would have made it well on time.
EXERCISE 3
1. Walking along the road / a car knocked / him down. / No error.
2. Having done my homework / my mother allowed me / to go out and play. / No error.
3. Being a rainy day, / I had to cancel / all my appointments. / No error.
4. A few selfish leaders/ are bent to harm / the very foundation of democracy. / No error.
5. As I have worked hard ,/ I am confident to pass / with flying colours . / No error.
6. If criminals are_____________ to join electrol fray,_____________ is likely to increase.
a)allowed, extortion b)encouraged, harmony c)invited, voting d) compelled, brotherhood
7. He_______________ the policeman to help him_________________ the thief, but the policeman pretended not to hear.
a) pleaded, got b)importuned, catch c)requested, grab d)asked, find
8. He___________ out two candles_____________ one breath.
a)snuffed, in b)extinguish, of c) blow, to d) lit, with
9. __________his death, the house became her_____________.
a)After, own b)On, property c)With, mansion d)By, building
10. He is so_____________ to light_______________ he never leaves the house without sun glasses.
a) insensitive, which b) immune, why c)sensitive, that d)afraid, when
SOLUTION 3
1. While he was walking along the road a car knocked him down.
Explanation – Add While he was before walking or a car will become the subject of the first part and the sentence will give a wrong meaning.
2. I having done my homework my mother allowed me to go out and play.
Explanation – Use I before having or my mother will become the subject of the first part and the sentence will give a wrong meaning.
3. It being a rainy day, I had to cancel all my appointments.
Explanation – Use it before being. Reason same as 1 and 2.
4. A few selfish leaders are bent on harming the very foundation of democracy.
Explanation – Bent on means determined to do.
5. As I have worked hard, I am confident of passing with flying colours .
Explanation – Of is used after confident.
6. allowed, extortion
7. importuned, catch
8. snuffed, in
9. On, property
10. sensitive, that
EXERCISE 4
1. He denied / to help / me. / No error.
2. Walking along the / bank of the river / the road began to rise. / No error.
3. It is time you / decide on your next /course of action. / No error.
4. As I was feeling sleepy / I asked for / a steamed cup of tea. / No error.
5. Would you please order / for tea and biscuits / for all of us . / No error.
6. Man is__________. The search for understanding is _________in its own right.
a)evolving, prophetic b)inquisitive, inherent c)appreciative, fundamental d)curious, philosophical
7. Leadership is one
of the world’s oldest______. The understanding of leadership has figured
strongly in the __________for knowledge.
a) cultures, quest b)institutions, passion c)preoccupations, quest d)subjects, findings
8. Our__________ to
understand the process of learning is ____________by the fact that any
given behaviour is the result of many processes jointly.
a)nature, determined b)scope, preceded c) implications, followed d) attempt, complicated
9. The parliamentary system of government suffers from many________ and has not proved a______________ success in India.
a)shortcomings, remarkable b)deficiencies, notable c)predilections, desirable d)weakness, admired
10. He was killed______________ a highwayman __________a dagger.
a)by, for b) by, with c)with, for d)through, with
SOLUTION 4
1. He denied to helping me.
Explanation – Gerunds come after deny
2. While I was walking along the bank of the river the road began to rise.
Explanation –Add While I was before walking alone
3. It is time you decided on your next course of action.
Explanation – V2 comes after it is time + subject
4. As I was feeling sleepy I asked for a steaming cup of tea.
Explanation – V1 + ing is used as n adjective to show an action still going on.
5. Would you please order tea and biscuits for all of us .
Explanation – Order as a verb does not take for after it.
6. inquisitive, inherent
7. preoccupations, quest
8. attempt, complicated
9.deficiencies, notable
10. by, with