STEP Error Identification 1 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Identify the error: 'The number of tourists visiting Saudi Arabia have increased significantly.'
- 'tourists' should be 'tourist'
- 'have' should be 'has' — 'the number of' is singular (Correct answer)
- 'visiting' should be 'visited'
- 'significantly' should be 'significant'
Correct answer: 'have' should be 'has' — 'the number of' is singular
'The number of' takes a singular verb ('has'), while 'a number of' takes a plural verb. 'The number of tourists... has increased' is correct because we are talking about the number itself (singular), not the tourists themselves.
Question 2: Find the mistake: 'She suggested me to apply for the scholarship.'
- 'She' should be 'Her'
- 'suggested me to apply' should be 'suggested that I apply' — 'suggest' doesn't take object + infinitive (Correct answer)
- 'scholarship' should be 'scholarships'
- There is no error
Correct answer: 'suggested me to apply' should be 'suggested that I apply' — 'suggest' doesn't take object + infinitive
'Suggest' follows the pattern: suggest + that + subject + base verb. 'She suggested that I apply' is correct. 'Suggest' cannot be followed by object + infinitive (unlike 'advise,' 'tell,' or 'ask'). This is a common error for non-native speakers.
Question 3: What is wrong with: 'Despite of the rain, we went to the park.'
- 'we' should be 'us'
- 'Despite of' should be 'Despite' — 'despite' is not followed by 'of' (Correct answer)
- 'went' should be 'go'
- 'the park' should be 'a park'
Correct answer: 'Despite of' should be 'Despite' — 'despite' is not followed by 'of'
'Despite' is a preposition that directly precedes its object without 'of': 'Despite the rain.' 'In spite of' (three words with 'of') is the alternative: 'In spite of the rain.' Mixing these produces the error 'despite of.'
Question 4: Identify the error: 'I have been living in Jeddah since three years.'
- 'have been living' should be 'lived'
- 'since' should be 'for' — 'since' is for specific points in time, 'for' is for durations (Correct answer)
- 'Jeddah' needs an article
- 'three years' should be 'three year'
Correct answer: 'since' should be 'for' — 'since' is for specific points in time, 'for' is for durations
'Since' is used with specific points in time (since 2023, since Monday). 'For' is used with durations (for three years, for two months). 'I have been living in Jeddah for three years' is correct.
Question 5: What is the error: 'Me and my friend went to the library.'
- 'went' should be 'go'
- 'Me' should be 'My friend and I' — subject pronouns are needed, and it's polite to put yourself last (Correct answer)
- 'library' should be 'libraries'
- There is no error
Correct answer: 'Me' should be 'My friend and I' — subject pronouns are needed, and it's polite to put yourself last
'Me' is an object pronoun; 'I' is the subject pronoun needed here (subject of 'went'). Also, English convention puts 'I' last: 'My friend and I went.' Test by removing the other person: 'I went to the library' (not 'Me went').
Question 6: Find the error: 'The informations on the website is very helpful.'
- 'very' should be 'much'
- 'informations' should be 'information' — it is an uncountable noun (Correct answer)
- 'is' should be 'are'
- 'helpful' should be 'helpfully'
Correct answer: 'informations' should be 'information' — it is an uncountable noun
'Information' is an uncountable noun in English — it has no plural form. 'The information is helpful' is correct. Other uncountable nouns often mistakenly pluralized: advice, furniture, equipment, research, homework, knowledge.
STEP Error Identification 1
Identify the error: 'The number of tourists visiting Saudi Arabia have increased significantly.'