Direction: In this section, a number of sentences are given. The sentences are underlined in three separate parts and each one is labeled a), b), c). Read each sentence to find out whether there is an error in any underlined part. No sentence has more than one error. When you find an error in any one of the underlined parts a), b) or c), indicate your response on the Answer Sheet at the appropriate space. You may feel that there is no error in a sentence. In that case, letter ‘d)’ will signify a ‘No error’ response. a) It is an established fact that the transcendental American poets and philosophers, b)/ who lived in the latter half of the nineteenth century, c)/ were more influenced by Indian philosophy, in particular by Upanishadic Philosophy. d)/ No error.
c
English Grammar Error Analysis: Identifying Redundancy
This question asks us to identify a grammatical error in one of the underlined parts of the sentence. Let's examine each part carefully.
Analysing the Sentence Parts
The sentence is:
a) It is an established fact that the transcendental American poets and philosophers,
b) who lived in the latter half of the nineteenth century,
c) were more influenced by Indian philosophy, in particular by Upanishadic Philosophy.
d) No error.
Part a) Analysis: "It is an established fact that the transcendental American poets and philosophers,"
This part introduces the subject, "the transcendental American poets and philosophers," and states an established fact about them. The structure "It is an established fact that..." is grammatically correct. The use of articles and adjectives seems appropriate in this context. There appears to be no error in part (a).
Part b) Analysis: "who lived in the latter half of the nineteenth century,"
This is a relative clause modifying the subject from part (a). "who lived" correctly uses the past tense to refer to people who lived in the past. The phrase "in the latter half of the nineteenth century" correctly specifies the time period. The comma before "who" is appropriate as it introduces a non-restrictive relative clause (assuming these poets and philosophers are already well-defined). There appears to be no error in part (b).
Part c) Analysis: "were more influenced by Indian philosophy, in particular by Upanishadic Philosophy."
This part describes the influence on the poets and philosophers. The verb phrase "were more influenced by Indian philosophy" is grammatically sound. The issue lies in the phrase "in particular by Upanishadic Philosophy." The phrase "in particular" is used to specify a particular item or area from a larger group. Here, it specifies a particular branch of Indian philosophy (Upanishadic Philosophy) that had influence. However, the structure "in particular by" is redundant or awkward when following the main influence phrase "influenced by". The correct way to use "in particular" to specify a sub-type of influence already mentioned would be:
- "...were more influenced by Indian philosophy, in particular Upanishadic Philosophy." (Omitting the second "by")
- "...were more influenced by Indian philosophy, and in particular by Upanishadic Philosophy." (Using "and" for parallel structure, though the first option is often preferred for conciseness).
The original phrasing "in particular by" is not the standard or most grammatical way to express this specific influence. The word "by" is used to indicate the agent of influence ("influenced by X"). When specifying a part of X after "in particular", the "by" is typically not repeated immediately after "in particular". Therefore, there is an error in part (c).
Conclusion
Based on the analysis, the error is found in part (c) due to the awkward and redundant use of "by" after "in particular".
| Part | Sentence Fragment | Analysis | Error? |
|---|---|---|---|
| a) | It is an established fact that the transcendental American poets and philosophers, | Correct structure and usage. | No |
| b) | who lived in the latter half of the nineteenth century, | Correct relative clause and time phrase. | No |
| c) | were more influenced by Indian philosophy, in particular by Upanishadic Philosophy. | Redundant "by" after "in particular". Should be "in particular Upanishadic Philosophy". | Yes |
| d) | No error. | This is the option if no error is found in a, b, or c. | N/A |
Revision Table: English Grammar Concepts
Let's review some related grammar points:
- Relative Clauses: Clauses starting with "who", "whom", "whose", "which", "that", or "where" that modify a noun. Non-restrictive clauses (like in part b) provide extra information and are set off by commas.
- Phrases like "In particular": Used to single out one item from a group. It should generally be followed directly by the specific item being singled out, not by a preposition that is already implied by the main part of the sentence. For example, "I like fruits, in particular apples." not "I like fruits, in particular by apples."
- Parallel Structure: When listing items or phrases, they should be in the same grammatical form. While not the primary error here, ensuring parallel structure can improve clarity.
Additional Information: Redundancy in English
Redundancy occurs when words or phrases are used that repeat meaning unnecessarily. Avoiding redundancy makes writing clearer and more concise. Examples include "past history" (history is always past) or "free gift" (a gift is always free). In part (c), the "by" is redundant because "in particular" is specifying which part of the "Indian philosophy" was influential, and the influence itself is already marked by the first "by".
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