TOEIC Error Recognition Test 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which underlined portion contains a grammatical error? "The manager (A) has been working here since (B) five years and (C) is considered (D) highly effective."
- (A) has been working
- (B) since (Correct answer)
- (C) is considered
- (D) highly effective
Correct answer: (B) since
"Since" is used with a specific point in time (since 2019), while "for" is used with a duration (for five years). The correct phrase is "for five years."
The preposition distinction between "since" and "for" with present perfect tense is a classic TOEIC error recognition test point. "Since" precedes a time point (since Monday, since 2020), while "for" precedes a duration (for three days, for five years). Substituting "for" corrects the sentence.
Question 2: Find the error: "All employees who (A) will attend the conference (B) must register (C) their names by (D) March the 10th."
- (A) will attend
- (B) must register
- (C) their names
- (D) March the 10th (Correct answer)
Correct answer: (D) March the 10th
Dates in English are written as "March 10th" or "the 10th of March," not "March the 10th." The definite article placement is incorrect.
In standard English, dates follow the pattern "Month Day" (March 10th) or "the [ordinal] of [month]" (the 10th of March). "March the 10th" places the definite article incorrectly between the month and day, which is non-standard. This is a common error in formal written English tested in TOEIC error recognition.
Question 3: Identify the error: "Neither the director nor the supervisors (A) was informed (B) about the policy (C) changes before (D) they took effect."
- (A) was informed (Correct answer)
- (B) about the policy
- (C) changes before
- (D) they took effect
Correct answer: (A) was informed
With "neither...nor," the verb agrees with the subject closest to it. Since "supervisors" is plural, the verb should be "were informed," not "was informed."
The proximity rule for subject-verb agreement states that in "neither...nor" and "either...or" constructions, the verb agrees with the subject nearest to it. Since "supervisors" (plural) is closest to "was informed," the plural form "were informed" is required. This is a frequent TOEIC error recognition target.
Question 4: Which part has an error? "The new software (A) allows users to (B) easily customizing (C) their dashboards (D) without assistance."
- (A) allows users to
- (B) easily customizing (Correct answer)
- (C) their dashboards
- (D) without assistance
Correct answer: (B) easily customizing
After "allow + object + to," the infinitive form is required: "to easily customize," not "to easily customizing."
The causative-like construction "allow + object + to + infinitive" is a fixed English pattern. Using a gerund (customizing) after "to" is incorrect — the base infinitive (customize) is required. This pattern appears frequently in TOEIC error recognition as a verb form test.
Question 5: Find the error: "The report (A) must be submitted (B) no later than (C) the deadline, which (D) fall on a Friday."
- (A) must be submitted
- (B) no later than
- (C) the deadline
- (D) fall on a Friday (Correct answer)
Correct answer: (D) fall on a Friday
"Which" refers to "the deadline," a singular noun, so the verb should be "falls" (third person singular present), not "fall."
Subject-verb agreement in relative clauses requires the verb to agree with the antecedent. "Which" refers back to "the deadline" (singular), so the verb must be "falls." Using the base form "fall" is a subject-verb agreement error, a common TOEIC test point.
Question 6: Identify the error: "The presentation was so (A) impressive that everyone in (B) the audience gave (C) the speaker a (D) stand ovation."
- (A) impressive
- (B) the audience
- (C) the speaker
- (D) stand ovation (Correct answer)
Correct answer: (D) stand ovation
The correct collocation is "standing ovation," not "stand ovation." The present participle adjective "standing" is required.
"Standing ovation" is a fixed collocation in English. "Stand" is a verb and cannot directly modify the noun "ovation" as an adjective. This type of collocation error — using the wrong word form in a set phrase — is a standard TOEIC error recognition test item.
TOEIC Error Recognition Test 2
Which underlined portion contains a grammatical error? "The manager (A) has been working here since (B) five years and (C) is considered (D) highly effective."