Error Spotting • Topic 2 of 4

Verb & Tense Errors

Verbs must agree with the true subject and match the time of the sentence. Find the real subject (not a noun in a phrase between it and the verb). Time markers fix the tense; after modals use the base verb.

Find the TRUE subject

The verb agrees with the head subject, not the nearest noun. A phrase between them is a decoy.

The list of items is long. subject (singular) decoy phrase matches "list"
"The list of items is long" — the verb agrees with list, not items.
Time markers fix the tense. since/for → present perfect ("has lived since 2010"); yesterday/ago → simple past. After a modal (can, should, must) use the base verb: "She can sings → sing".

✅ Solved examples

1. Find the error: "The list of items are long."
"are" is wrong — subject is "list" (singular) → "is".
2. Find the error: "He has gone to Delhi yesterday."
"has gone" is wrong — "yesterday" needs simple past "went".
3. Find the error: "She can sings well."
"sings" is wrong — after "can" use base form "sing".
4. Find the error: "They are living here since 2010."
"are living" → "have been living" (since).

✏️ Practice — try these, take hints as needed

1. Error: "One of the students were absent."
Subject = "one".
—
—
"were" → was
2. Error: "I did not went there."
After "did".
—
—
"went" → go
3. Error: "He is knowing the answer."
Stative verb.
—
—
"is knowing" → knows
4. Error: "She has come yesterday."
Time marker.
—
—
"has come" → came
5. Error: "You must to go now."
After modal.
—
—
remove "to" → must go

📝 Topic test — 8 questions

Auto-graded with full solutions; saved to your dashboard. Use the calculator and formula sheet (top-right) any time.

Loading questions…
← Noun & Pronoun Errors Preposition & Conjunction Errors →