Understanding Sentence Error Detection

The question asks us to identify if there is any grammatical error in the given sentence: "One of the members expressed doubt if the Minister was an atheist". We need to examine each part of the sentence to find any potential mistakes in grammar, usage, or structure.

Analyzing Each Part of the Sentence

Let's break down the sentence into its labeled parts:

• (a) One of the members: This part is grammatically correct. The structure "One of the + plural noun" requires a singular verb, but the verb appears later in part (b). "One of the members" correctly identifies the subject part.
• (b) expressed doubt if: This part contains a potential error related to the conjunction used after the phrase "expressed doubt".
• (c) the Minister was an atheist: This is a subordinate clause acting as the object of the doubt. The tense and structure "was an atheist" are appropriate in this context, following the past tense verb "expressed".
• (d) No error: This option would be correct if no error is found in parts (a), (b), or (c).

Identifying the Error in Part (b)

The error lies in part (b), specifically in the usage of the conjunction "if" after the phrase "expressed doubt".

When expressing uncertainty or doubt about whether something is true or will happen, the conjunctions typically used are "whether" or "that".

• Using "whether": "Whether" is used to introduce an indirect question that expresses doubt or uncertainty about two or more possibilities (even if only one possibility is explicitly mentioned). Example: "She doubted whether he would arrive on time."
• Using "that": "That" can also be used, especially in negative sentences or questions expressing doubt. Example: "I don't doubt that he is capable." However, "whether" is often preferred after "doubt" when stating an uncertainty about a possibility.
• Using "if": "If" is primarily used to introduce conditional clauses (e.g., "If it rains, we won't go") or sometimes as a less formal alternative to "whether" in indirect questions expressing a choice between two stated alternatives (e.g., "He asked if she was coming or not"). However, after verbs or nouns expressing doubt, "whether" is generally considered more appropriate than "if", especially in formal contexts like this sentence structure. Using "if" after "doubt" can sound awkward and is often considered grammatically incorrect when expressing simple uncertainty about a proposition.

In the given sentence, the speaker is expressing doubt about the possibility of the Minister being an atheist. Therefore, "whether" is the correct conjunction to use.

The correct phrasing for part (b) should be "expressed doubt whether".

Conclusion

Based on the analysis, the error is found in part (b) due to the incorrect use of "if" instead of "whether" after "expressed doubt".

Revision Table: Doubt + Conjunctions

Additional Information: Conjunctions After Verbs of Doubt/Uncertainty

Verbs and nouns expressing doubt or uncertainty, such as 'doubt', 'uncertainty', 'question', often take specific conjunctions to introduce the clause that states the object of the doubt or uncertainty.

• When the doubt is about the truth or possibility of a single statement, 'whether' is the standard choice. For example, "They raised the question whether the plan was feasible."
• 'That' is typically used after 'doubt' primarily in negative constructions or questions to express that one does *not* doubt something. For example, "Nobody doubted that she would succeed." Using 'doubt that' in positive sentences (e.g., "I doubt that he will come") implies strong disbelief, almost meaning "I don't believe he will come". However, when simply expressing uncertainty, 'whether' is more neutral and common.
• The use of 'if' after 'doubt' is generally discouraged in standard English when expressing uncertainty about a proposition, as it can create ambiguity with conditional clauses or is considered less formal than 'whether'.

Therefore, in a sentence like "expressed doubt if X was true", the 'if' should be replaced with 'whether' to conform to standard grammatical usage.