Direction: Read each sentence to find out whether there is an error in any part and if you find no error, your response should be indicated as (d). He asked (a)/ whether either of the brothers (b)/ were at home. (c)/ No error (d)
(c)
Analyzing the Sentence for Grammatical Errors
The question asks us to identify any error in the given sentence: "He asked (a)/ whether either of the brothers (b)/ were at home. (c)/ No error (d)". We need to examine each part of the sentence to check for grammatical correctness, particularly focusing on subject-verb agreement and pronoun usage.
Examining Part (a): "He asked"
This part of the sentence serves as the main clause. "He" is a singular subject, and "asked" is the simple past tense of the verb "ask." This is grammatically correct. The verb agrees with the subject, and the tense is appropriate for introducing a question that was asked in the past.
Examining Part (b): "whether either of the brothers"
This part introduces a noun clause acting as the object of the verb "asked." The phrase "either of the brothers" is the subject within this clause. The structure "either of + plural noun" refers to one person out of a group of two. While "brothers" is plural, the word "either" functions distributively, meaning it refers to one individual from the group at a time. Therefore, the subject "either" is grammatically singular.
Examining Part (c): "were at home."
This part contains the verb for the subject "either of the brothers." As established in the analysis of part (b), the subject "either" is singular. According to the rules of subject-verb agreement, a singular subject requires a singular verb. The verb "were" is the plural past tense form of "to be." The singular past tense form is "was." Therefore, there is a subject-verb agreement error in this part. The verb should be "was" to agree with the singular subject "either."
Correct sentence structure requires:
- Singular subject \(\rightarrow\) Singular verb
- Plural subject \(\rightarrow\) Plural verb
In this case, "either" is singular, so the verb must be singular.
Conclusion on the Error
Based on the analysis, the error is in part (c) because the plural verb "were" is used with the singular subject "either of the brothers." The correct verb should be "was."
Sentence Breakdown and Error Location
| Part | Text | Analysis | Error? |
|---|---|---|---|
| (a) | He asked | Main clause, correct subject-verb agreement (He - asked) | No |
| (b) | whether either of the brothers | Introduces noun clause, subject is "either of the brothers", where "either" is singular. | No |
| (c) | were at home. | Verb for the subject "either". "were" is plural, but "either" is singular. Incorrect subject-verb agreement. | Yes |
| (d) | No error | Incorrect, as an error exists. | No |
The error is found in part (c).
Revision Table: Correcting Subject-Verb Agreement
| Incorrect | Correct | Reason |
|---|---|---|
| either of the brothers were | either of the brothers was | "Either" is singular, requiring a singular verb ("was"). |
Additional Information: Subject-Verb Agreement with Indefinite Pronouns
Understanding subject-verb agreement is crucial for correct grammar. Indefinite pronouns can be tricky. Here are some key points related to the grammar concept in this question:
- Singular Indefinite Pronouns: Words like either, neither, each, every one, everyone, everybody, anyone, anybody, someone, somebody, no one, nobody are always singular and require a singular verb.
- Plural Indefinite Pronouns: Words like several, few, both, many are always plural and require a plural verb.
- Indefinite Pronouns that can be Singular or Plural: Words like some, any, none, all, most depend on the noun or pronoun they refer to. If they refer to a countable noun (like "brothers"), they can be plural. If they refer to an uncountable noun (like "water"), they are singular. However, in the structure "either/neither/each/every one of + plural noun," the verb agrees with the singular indefinite pronoun (either, neither, each, every one), not the plural noun in the prepositional phrase.
In the given sentence, "either of the brothers," the subject is effectively "either," which is singular, hence needing a singular verb.
Similar Questions
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