Directions: Each item in this section has a sentence with three underlined. parts labelled as (a), (b) and (c). Read each sentence to find out whether there is any error in any underlined part and indicate your response. on 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). This also allows (a) / individual writers (b) / to play his strengths. (c) / No error (d)
c
Understanding English Grammar Errors
The question asks us to identify if there is any error in the given sentence, which is divided into three parts: (a), (b), and (c). If no error is found, the answer is (d).
The sentence is: This also allows (a) / individual writers (b) / to play his strengths. (c) / No error (d)
Analyzing Each Part of the Sentence
Let's examine each underlined part to check for grammatical correctness.
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Part (a): This also allows
This part starts the sentence and contains the subject "This" (referring to something previously mentioned) and the verb "allows". The verb "allows" is singular, which correctly agrees with the singular subject "This". This part seems grammatically correct.
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Part (b): individual writers
This part contains the object of the verb "allows", which is "individual writers". "Writers" is a plural noun, and "individual" is an adjective modifying it. This phrase functions correctly as the object. This part seems grammatically correct in this context.
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Part (c): to play his strengths.
This part is an infinitive phrase "to play" followed by a possessive pronoun "his" modifying the noun "strengths". The crucial point here is the possessive pronoun "his". This pronoun refers back to the subject of the action "to play," which is "individual writers" from part (b). The noun "writers" is plural, but the pronoun "his" is singular. Pronouns must agree in number and gender with the nouns or pronouns they refer to (their antecedents).
Since the antecedent "individual writers" is plural and refers to people, the possessive pronoun should also be plural. The correct possessive pronoun for a plural antecedent referring to people is "their". Alternatively, if the intent is to emphasize individual strengths, "their own" could be used, but "their" is the most direct correction for agreement.
The phrase should be "to play their strengths" or "to play their own strengths."
Identifying the Error
Based on our analysis, there is a pronoun agreement error in part (c). The singular possessive pronoun "his" does not agree with the plural noun "individual writers" that it refers to.
| Part | Phrase | Analysis | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| (a) | This also allows | Subject-verb agreement correct. | Correct |
| (b) | individual writers | Correct noun phrase as object. | Correct |
| (c) | to play his strengths. | Pronoun 'his' does not agree with plural antecedent 'writers'. Should be 'their'. | Incorrect |
| (d) | No error | There is an error in part (c). | Incorrect |
Therefore, the error is in part (c).
Revision Table: Pronoun Agreement
| Antecedent (Noun/Pronoun) | Number | Gender | Correct Possessive Pronoun |
|---|---|---|---|
| Singular male (e.g., John, a boy) | Singular | Male | his |
| Singular female (e.g., Mary, a girl) | Singular | Female | her |
| Singular neutral/thing (e.g., a book, it) | Singular | Neutral | its |
| Plural (e.g., writers, they, boys and girls) | Plural | Any | their |
| Indefinite Pronouns (Singular): everyone, everybody, anyone, anybody, someone, somebody, no one, nobody, each, either, neither | Singular | Usually treated as singular, requiring singular pronouns (his/her/his or her, their is also common informally or when gender is unknown). | his/her/its (or their in modern usage) |
In the sentence, "individual writers" is a plural antecedent. Thus, the correct possessive pronoun is "their".
Additional Information: Subject-Verb vs. Pronoun Agreement
It is important not to confuse subject-verb agreement with pronoun agreement. Subject-verb agreement ensures the verb form matches the subject's number (e.g., "He runs," "They run"). Pronoun agreement ensures the pronoun matches the noun or pronoun it replaces or refers to in terms of number, gender, and person (e.g., "The writer finished his/her article," "The writers finished their articles"). In this question, the error was specifically a pronoun agreement issue.
Understanding pronoun agreement is essential for writing clear and grammatically correct sentences.
Similar Questions
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Important Questions from Error Spotting
- Select the option that correctly punctuates the given sentence.
I visited Delhi Mumbai and Kolkata last summer. Select the correctly punctuated version of the phrase to fill in the blank and complete the given sentence.
'spent our holiday in France it was very crowded'
Rahim, Rajam and I ________.- Choose the one that correctly represents the sentence in direct speech.
Adit explained that he hadn't had the time to prepare his speech the day before. - Choose the correct idiom for the word highlighted in bold.
"The builder hired several carpenters and electricians to work on the building, but he left them in the lurch when it came time to pay them." Read the given statements and conclusions carefully. Decide which of the given conclusions is true based on the statements.
Statements:
$Z < S < E = J, J \geq T > G = V$
Conclusions:
I. $V < E$
II. $T > Z$
