TCS VERBAL ABILITY PREP Answer Key

Exercise on Proofreading

1. Find two spelling mistakes in the email.

Error 1: By instead of buy
Error 2: product instead produce

2. Find three grammatical mistakes in the email.

Error 1: what we need is really good printer should be what we need is a really good printer
Error 2: In the sentence, Theres a company called Printers-R-Us that do some good deals right
now, the tense4 form is incorrect. It should be Theres a company called Printers-R-Us that is
doing some good deals right now.
Error 3: in the last line I suggest to give them a bell, the word to should be replaced by you.

3. Informal expressions in two places in the mail are not appropriate. Find the expressions. Can
you make them more appropriate?
Informal expression 1 is the phrase another thing which could be replaced by also. Informal
expression 2 is give them a bell which could be replaced by call them.

Exercise on Spotting Grammar Errors

Each sentence below has an error in it. Work with your faculty to spot the error and understand
the rule behind it.

1. Just ask John or myself . . . [me instead of myself myself is a reflexive pronoun]

2. Irregardless of the outcome, I plan to continue working hard. [irregardless is not a word
and should be replaced with regardless.]

3. Im doing good in my new job. [good is an adjective and adjectives describe nouns. Since
doing is a verb, the describing word here should be an adverb like well.]

4. At the same time I assured him that no evidence, either paper documents or electronic
devices, was not taken away from the firm. [the use of no evidence and not taken causes
the problem of double negatives it is best to remove the not from the second phrase.]

5. Where is it at? [The preposition at is redundant.]

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 TCS VERBAL ABILITY PREP Answer Key

6. Between you, me, and the supervisor, I think Lily is going to make a mess of her report.
[between is used with two items, among is used with three or more items.]

7. Can I see that report? [can to be replaced with may can denotes physical or mental
ability and may denoted permission or authorisation]

8. I need to bring this book back to the library by tomorrow. [bring to be replaced with
take - The verbs bring and take indicate action and movement, either toward or away
from the speaker. If the speaker in the sentence above is returning something to a location
away from himself or herself, the correct choice would be take. Bring would be the
accurate verb in the question: Would you bring me the book I left on the kitchen table?]

9. I imply from what Stan said in the meeting that there is going to be no annual bonus this
year. [imply to be replaced with infer to imply is to hint at something, but to infer is
to make an educated guess.]

10. He wants to meet with Haridas and I after work on Tuesday. [I to be replaced with me -
heres a shortcut to help you know whether to use the nominative case I or the objective
case me. Take Haridas out of the equation, and now read the sentence: He wants to meet
with I after work. Even if you cant cite the rule, would you actually say this?]

11. The Draft Report was prepared solely for the use of the Company; however it was not
clearly stated what was the purpose of the Report. [however it was not clearly stated what
was the purpose of the Report should be the purpose of the Report was not clearly
stated. The wrong sentence puts the verb phrase before the subject, whereas the correct
version puts the subject (the purpose of the report) before the verb phrase (was not clearly
stated).

12. He absented from the school yesterday. The reflexive pronoun himself must be inserted
after absented and before from]

13. The climate of India is hotter than England. [The sentence should be written as The
climate in India is hotter than that of England. Comparison must be between similar
attributes. If we say The climate of India is hotter than England, we are comparing Indias
climate with England as a country rather than comparing Indias climate with Englands
climate which is what is intended.]

14. We requested the Management for some trainings on interpersonal skills and etiquette.
[trainings is to be replaced with training which is the singular and plural form of the
word.]

15. Our team has been working on the Artificial Intelligence project since the last three years.
[since to be replaced with for. Since points to the beginning of a period of time. For
indicates the length of a period of time.