Common English Grammar Mistakes in Competitive Exams: Rules and Practice

Grammar questions become difficult when you recognise a rule but cannot find the part of the sentence it controls. A long phrase between a subject and its verb can distract you; a familiar expression can make an incorrect sentence sound natural.

The following rules focus on standard written English used in formal exam practice. Read the whole sentence before choosing an error.

Find the subject before checking the verb

Incorrect: The list of applicants are ready.
Correct: The list of applicants is ready.

The head subject is list, not applicants. The phrase of applicants supplies information about the list. Temporarily bracket that phrase to see the subject-verb relationship.

Each and every usually take a singular verb

Correct: Each of the candidates has an identity card. The noun after of is plural, but each refers to members individually. Also write every candidate has, not every candidates have.

Use the base verb after a modal

Incorrect: She can solves the question.
Correct: She can solve the question.

After modals such as can, should and must, use the base form in this construction. Do not add -s just because the subject is singular.

Keep an event's time relationship clear

Correct: I have lived here for three years.
Correct: I have lived here since 2023.

Use for with a duration and since with a starting point in this pattern. Do not choose a tense from one time word alone; consider whether the situation continues and how events relate.

Use parallel forms in a list

Incorrect: Her plan includes reading, revising and to practise.
Correct: Her plan includes reading, revising and practising.

The coordinated activities play the same grammatical role. Parallel structure makes the relationship clear. This does not mean every word in a sentence must have the same form.

Avoid double comparisons

Incorrect: This method is more easier.
Correct: This method is easier.

Do not add more to a comparative such as easier or better. Also compare like with like: The cost of Plan A is lower than that of Plan B, not lower than Plan B itself.

Learn uncountable nouns through complete examples

Correct: This information is useful.
Correct: She gave me two pieces of advice.

In these standard uses, information and advice are uncountable. Avoid an advice or many informations. Count a suitable unit, such as a piece of advice, when needed.

Choose articles by sound

Write an honest answer because the initial sound in honest is a vowel sound. Write a university because university begins with a consonant sound like the beginning of you. The first written letter alone does not decide the article.

Do not copy the object of one verb onto another

Correct: We discussed the problem.
Correct: We talked about the problem.

In the first sentence, discussed directly takes an object. Discussed about the problem combines two different patterns incorrectly.

Place modifiers near their intended meaning

Compare She almost solved every question with She solved almost every question. The second clearly means that she solved nearly all the questions. Modifier placement can change meaning even where the individual words are grammatical.

Practice questions

These original practice questions are for learning; they are not claimed as previous-year exam questions.

Question 1

Choose the correct completion: The quality of these answers _____ improved.

1. have
2. has
3. are
4. were

Answer: B. has. Quality is the singular subject; of these answers does not make it plural.

Question 2

Choose the correct sentence.

1. He must submits the form.
2. He must submitted the form.
3. He must submit the form.
4. He must submitting the form.

Answer: C. He must submit the form.. Must is followed by the base form submit in this construction.

Question 3

Choose the correct phrase.

1. an useful method
2. a honest response
3. an honest response
4. an university

Answer: C. an honest response. Honest begins with a vowel sound because the h is silent.

Question 4

Choose the correct sentence.

1. We discussed about the issue.
2. We discussed the issue.
3. We discussed on the issue.
4. We discussed for the issue.

Answer: B. We discussed the issue.. Discuss directly takes the object the issue.

Question 5

Choose the correct completion: She has worked here _____ five months.

1. since
2. from
3. for
4. during of

Answer: C. for. Five months is a duration, so for fits this sentence.

A four-step checking routine

1. Identify the subject and the main verb.
2. Check verb form and time relationships.
3. Check comparisons, parallel elements and modifiers.
4. Read the corrected sentence for meaning.

Keep an error log with the original sentence, the corrected version and one sentence explaining the rule. Then write a new example with different nouns. This checks understanding rather than memory of a single question.

Conclusion

Do not search randomly for a suspicious word. Work through the sentence's structure, identify what each part refers to and choose the correction that preserves both grammar and meaning.

Keep practising with PrepZen

Use PrepZen English practice and editorial reading to apply these rules in context. Get PrepZen on Google Play and use its learning and practice features alongside your study plan.