TOEFL · Structure · B2–C1

TOEFL Structure: Find the Error

Classic TOEFL-style error-identification practice — spot the grammatically incorrect part of the sentence.

Score: 0 / 10

1. Which part of this sentence is grammatically incorrect? "The committee have decided to postpone the meeting until next week."

2. Which part is incorrect? "Neither of the students were able to answer the question correctly."

3. Which part is incorrect? "She is one of the best teacher in the entire school."

4. Which part is incorrect? "By the time she arrived, the movie already started."

5. Which part is incorrect? "Despite of the heavy rain, the football match continued as planned."

6. Which part is incorrect? "Each of the applicants have submitted their documents on time."

7. Which part is incorrect? "The number of students attending the lecture were increasing every year."

8. Which part is incorrect? "If I would have known about the traffic, I would have left earlier."

9. Which part is incorrect? "He suggested that she goes to the doctor immediately."

10. Which part is incorrect? "The research, along with the survey results, are due to be published next month."

Answer key — TOEFL Structure: Find the Error

A — The committee have. "Committee" is a singular collective noun in this context, so it should take a singular verb: "The committee has decided."
B — were able to. "Neither" is singular, so it takes a singular verb: "was able to," not "were able to."
B — the best teacher. "One of the" is followed by a plural noun: it should be "one of the best teachers."
C — the movie already started. This needs the past perfect to show one past action happened before another: "the movie had already started."
A — Despite of. "Despite" is never followed by "of" — it should simply be "Despite the heavy rain."
B — have submitted. "Each" is singular, so it should be "has submitted," not "have submitted."
C — were increasing. "The number of" takes a singular verb ("was increasing"); it’s different from "a number of," which is plural.
A — If I would have known. Third conditional "if" clauses use the past perfect, not "would have": it should be "If I had known."
B — that she goes. "Suggest that" is followed by the base form (subjunctive): "that she go," not "that she goes."
C — are due to be published. "Along with" phrases don’t change the number of the subject — the subject is "the research" (singular), so it should be "is due to be published."

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