Rules and Tips to Solve Spotting Errors in Sentences 3

Rules and Tips to Solve Spotting Errors in Sentences

17. Normally ‘ than’ is used in the comparative degree, but with words like superior, inferior, senior, junior, prior, anterior, posterior and prefer ‘to’ is used.

a)Shelly is junior than Wordsworth.(Incorrect)
Shelly is junior to Wordsworth.(Correct)

b)I prefer reading than sleeping.(Incorrect)
I prefer reading to sleeping.(Correct)

18. When a comparision is made by using a comparitive followed by ‘than’, the word ‘other’ must be used to exclude the thing comapred from the class of things with which it is compared from the class of things with which it is compared.

a)He is stronger than any man.(Incorrect)
He is stronger than any other man.(Correct)

19.’One of’ always takes a plural noun after it.

a)It is one of the important day in my life.(Incorrect)
It is one of the important days in my life.(Correct)

20.’Scarcely’ and ‘hardly’ are followed by’ when’ and not by ‘than’.

a)I had scarcely entered the room than the phone rang.(Incorrect)
I had scarcely entered the room when the phone rang.(Correct)

21.’Since’ indicates a point of time and ‘for’ stands for the length of time.

a)He has been reading the book since two hours.(Incorrect)
He has been reading the book for two hours.(Correct)

b)It has been raining for Monday last.(Incorrect)
It has been raining since Monday last.(Correct)

22. Until expresses time. It has a negative sense. and thus ‘not’ should never be used with it.

a)Wait here until I do not return.(Incorrect)
Wait here until I return.(Correct)

23.Use of ‘when’ and ‘while’ : Proper attention must be paid to these words.

‘When’ indicates a general sense and ‘ while’ implies a time during the process of doing a work.

a)When learning to swim, one of the most important things is to relax.(Incorrect)
While learning to swim, one of the most important things is to relax.(Correct)