Direction: The following sentence has been divided into four segments. Select the segment that contains a grammatical error from the given options. I am going / to home / soon after the / programme gets over.
to home
Identifying Grammatical Errors in Sentences
The question asks us to find the segment in the given sentence that contains a grammatical error. Let's look at the sentence divided into its segments:
- I am going
- to home
- soon after the
- programme gets over.
We need to examine each segment to see if it follows the rules of English grammar.
Analyzing Each Sentence Segment
Let's break down each part of the sentence:
- Segment 1: I am going
This segment uses the present continuous tense ("am going") which is correct for expressing an action that is happening now or a planned future action. The subject "I" is correct with "am going". This segment is grammatically correct. - Segment 2: to home
This segment uses the preposition "to" before the word "home". The word "home" can sometimes function as an adverb meaning "to or at one's home". When "home" is used this way, especially after verbs of motion like "go", "come", "arrive", "get", etc., we usually do not use a preposition like "to". For example, we say "go home", "come home", "arrive home". Therefore, "to home" is usually grammatically incorrect in this context. - Segment 3: soon after the
This segment introduces a phrase indicating time ("soon after the programme gets over"). The words "soon after the" are correctly used together to link to the following clause. This segment is grammatically correct. - Segment 4: programme gets over
This segment describes the event that finishes. "Programme" is a singular noun, and the verb "gets over" (meaning finishes) is correctly conjugated in the simple present tense with a singular subject ("gets over"). This segment is grammatically correct.
The Grammatical Error
Based on the analysis, the error is in the second segment, "to home". The correct phrasing when talking about moving towards or reaching one's residence using a verb like "going" is typically just "home", without the preposition "to".
The correct sentence should be: "I am going home soon after the programme gets over."
The segment containing the grammatical error is "to home".
Revision Table: Common Usage with 'Home'
| Verb | Usage with 'Home' (as adverb) | Correct Example | Incorrect Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| Go | Go home | I need to go home. | I need to go to home. |
| Come | Come home | They came home late. | They came to home late. |
| Arrive | Arrive home | We arrived home at midnight. | We arrived to home at midnight. |
| Get | Get home | How did you get home? | How did you get to home? |
Note: We do use prepositions with 'home' when 'home' is used as a noun (e.g., "at my home", "from his home", "to the home of my parents"). But when it functions adverbially after motion verbs, 'to' is usually omitted.
Additional Information on Adverbial Nouns
The word "home" in phrases like "go home" acts like an adverb, telling us where someone is going, even though it is typically a noun. This is sometimes called an adverbial noun or an adverbial objective.
Other words can sometimes be used adverbially in a similar way, often related to direction or location, though the rules for using prepositions can vary:
- Downtown: "go downtown", "walk downtown" (often without 'to')
- Upstairs/Downstairs: "go upstairs", "come downstairs" (without 'to')
- Abroad: "go abroad", "travel abroad" (without 'to')
Understanding when a word like 'home' functions as an adverb helps avoid common grammatical errors involving prepositions.
Important Questions from Error Spotting
Direction: Each item in this section has a sentence with three underlined parts labelled (a), (b) and (c) Read each sentence to determine whether there is an error in any underlined part and indicate your response in the Answer Sheet against the corresponding letter, i.e., (a) or (b) or (c). If you find no error, your response should be indicated as (d).
A honest mistake (a) / is no more than that; (b) / just an honest mistake. (c) / No error (d)Direction: Each item in this section has a sentence with three underlined parts labelled (a), (b) and (c) Read each sentence to determine whether there is any error in any underlined part and indicate your response in the Answer Sheet against the corresponding letter, i.e., (a) or (b) or (c). If you find no error, your response should be indicated as (d).
A company of five thousand soldiers , (a) / having marched tirelessly for over five days , (b) / have just moved into their cantonment . (c) / No error (d)Direction: Each item in this section has a sentence with three underlined parts labelled (a), (b) and (c) Read each sentence to determine whether there is an error in any underlined part and indicate your response in the Answer Sheet against the corresponding letter, i.e., (a) or (b) or (c). If you find no error, your response should be indicated as (d).
Every person who believes in principles (a) / must stand up to fight (b) / for their convictions . (c) / No error (d)Direction: Each item in this section has a sentence with three underlined parts labelled (a), (b) and (c) Read each sentence to determine whether there is any error in any underlined part and indicate your response in the Answer Sheet against the corresponding letter, i.e., (a) or (b) or (c). If you find no error, your response should be indicated as (d).
The Olympic Games reflects(a) / the highest spirit of (b) / human endeavour and achievement . (c) / No error (d)Direction: Each item in this section has a sentence with three underlined parts labelled (a), (b) and (c) Read each sentence to determine whether there is an error in any underlined part and indicate your response in the Answer Sheet against the corresponding letter, i.e., (a) or (b) or (c). If you find no error, your response should be indicated as (d).
The principal of the school (a) / stressed the need for discipline (b) / amongst the students. (c) / No error (d)
