Directions: Each item in this section has a sentence with four options labelled (a), (b) and (c). Read each sentence to find out whether there is any error 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) There was great deal that had to be scrapped, that must be scrapped (b) but surely India could not have been what she undoubtedly was (c) and could not have continued a cultured existence for thousands of years (d) No error
(a)
Analyzing Sentence Error Detection for Improvement
This question asks us to identify the part of the given sentence that contains an error in grammar or usage. The sentence is broken down into three parts: (a), (b), and (c). If no error is found in any part, the answer is (d).
Examining Each Part of the Sentence
Let's look at each part of the sentence carefully to detect any potential errors.
- Part (a): "There was great deal that had to be scrapped, that must be scrapped"
- Part (b): "but surely India could not have been what she undoubtedly was"
- Part (c): "and could not have continued a cultured existence for thousands of years"
Identifying the Error in Part (a)
The phrase "great deal" is used in part (a). In English grammar, when referring to a large amount or quantity in this context, the indefinite article "a" is required before "great deal". The correct idiomatic phrase is "a great deal". Without the article "a", the phrase "great deal" is grammatically incorrect here.
So, the corrected phrase should be "a great deal". The sentence part (a) should ideally read: "There was a great deal that had to be scrapped, that must be scrapped..."
Therefore, part (a) contains the error because it is missing the indefinite article "a" before "great deal".
Evaluating Parts (b) and (c) for Errors
Let's examine parts (b) and (c):
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Part (b): "but surely India could not have been what she undoubtedly was"
This part uses the subjunctive mood with "could not have been" and refers to the state of India in the past ("what she undoubtedly was"). This structure and usage appear grammatically correct and convey the intended meaning.
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Part (c): "and could not have continued a cultured existence for thousands of years"
This part continues the idea from (b) using "could not have continued" and refers to a historical duration ("for thousands of years"). The phrase "a cultured existence" is appropriate. This part also appears grammatically sound and fits logically with the rest of the sentence structure.
Based on this analysis, parts (b) and (c) do not seem to contain any grammatical errors.
Conclusion of Error Detection
The analysis shows that the error lies in part (a) due to the omission of the indefinite article "a" before "great deal". Parts (b) and (c) are grammatically correct. Therefore, the part of the sentence with the error is (a).
| Part | Sentence Fragment | Analysis | Error Found? |
|---|---|---|---|
| (a) | There was great deal that had to be scrapped, that must be scrapped | Missing article 'a' before 'great deal'. Should be 'a great deal'. | Yes |
| (b) | but surely India could not have been what she undoubtedly was | Grammatically correct. | No |
| (c) | and could not have continued a cultured existence for thousands of years | Grammatically correct. | No |
| (d) | No error | Not applicable as an error was found in (a). | N/A |
Revision Table: Common Article Errors
| Type of Error | Incorrect Example | Correct Example | Explanation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Missing 'a' before singular countable noun | I saw dog. | I saw a dog. | A singular countable noun usually needs an article (a/an/the). |
| Missing 'a'/'an' before idiomatic phrases | He has good understanding. | He has a good understanding. | Phrases like 'a great deal', 'a good understanding', 'a lot of' require an article. |
| Incorrect use of 'the' with general plurals/uncountables | The dogs are loyal animals. | Dogs are loyal animals. | Use 'the' for specific things, not general categories. |
Additional Information: Understanding Articles in English
Articles are words (a, an, the) that precede a noun and indicate whether the noun is specific or unspecific. They are crucial for grammatical correctness.
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Indefinite Articles (a, an): Used for singular, countable nouns when they are general or unspecific.
- Use 'a' before consonant sounds (e.g., a car, a house, a university - 'u' sounds like 'yoo').
- Use 'an' before vowel sounds (e.g., an apple, an hour - 'h' is silent).
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Definite Article (the): Used for specific or particular nouns, whether singular or plural, countable or uncountable.
- Used when the noun has been mentioned before.
- Used when the noun is unique (e.g., the sun, the Eiffel Tower).
- Used with superlatives (e.g., the best, the tallest).
In the context of the sentence, "great deal" functions as a noun phrase referring to an unspecific large amount, making "a great deal" the correct form.
Similar Questions
In this section, each item consists of six sentences of passage. The first and sixth sentences are given in the beginning as SI and S6. The middle four-sentence in each have been jumbled up and labelled as P, Q, R and S. You are required to find the proper sequence of the four sentences.
S1: The British rule in India has brought about moral, material, cultural and spiritual ruination of this great country.
S6: We are not to kill anybody but it is our dharma to see that the curse of this Government is blotted out.
P: I regard this rule as a curse.
Q: Sedition has become my religion
R: Ours is a non-violent battle
S: I am out to destroy this system of Government.
In this section, each item consists of six sentences of passage. The first and sixth sentences are given in the beginning as SI and S6. The middle four-sentence in each have been jumbled up and labelled as P, Q, R and S. You are required to find the proper sequence of the four sentences.
S1: We do not know what do to with our knowledge.
S6: In the course of time they may rule over us all together.
P: For example, we are unable to manage our machines.
Q: We already find it difficult to do without machines
R: Machines should be fed properly and waited upon attentively; otherwise they refuse to work or cause destruction.
S: Science has given us superhuman powers, which we do not use properly.
Direction: In this section each item consists of six sentences of a passage. The first and sixth sentences are given in the beginning as S1 and S6. The middle four sentences in each have been jumbled up and labelled P, Q, R and S. You are required to find the proper sequence of the four sentences.
S1: The Subsidiary Alliance system was extremely advantageous to the British.
P: They could now maintain a large army at the cost of Indian states
Q: if any war occurred in the territories
R: either of the British ally or of the Britishers
S: This enabled them to fight wars far away from their own territories
S6: They controlled the defence and the foreign relations of the protected ally.
The proper sequence should be
Direction: In this section, each item consists of six sentences of a passage. The first and sixth sentences are given in the beginning as S1 and S6. The middle four sentences in each have been jumbled up and labelled P, Q, R and S. You are required to find the proper sequence of the four sentences.
S1: The ruin of Indian handicrafts was reflected in the ruin of the towns and cities which were famous for their manufactures.P: Dacca, Surat, Murshidabad and many other rising industrialQ: ravages of war and plunder, failed toR: survive British conquestS: Cities which had withstood theS6: Centres were developed and laid to waste.The proper sequence should be:Direction: In this section, each item consists of six sentences of a passage. The first and sixth sentences are given in the beginning as S1 and S6. The middle four sentences in each have been jumbled up and labelled P, Q, R and S. You are required to find the proper sequence of the four sentences.
S1: The Indian Civil Service gradually developed into one of the most efficient and powerful civil services in the world.S6: though these qualities obviously served British, and not Indian interests.P: and often participated in the making of policyQ: independence, integrity and hard workR: They developed certain traditions ofS: Its members exercised vast powerThe proper sequence should beDirection: In this section each item consists of six sentences of a passage. The first and sixth sentences are given in the beginning as S1 and S6. The middle four sentences in each have been jumbled up and labelled P, Q, R and S. You are required to find the proper sequence of the four sentences.
S1: In reality, by signing a Subsidiary Alliance, an Indian state virtually signed away its independence.
P: and of maintaining diplomatic relations
Q: It lost the right of self-defence
R: with its neighbours
S: and of settling its disputes
S6: In fact, the Indian ruler lost all vestiges of sovereignty in external matters.
The proper sequence should be
Directions: Each of the following items in this section consists of a sentence, the parts of which have been jumbled. These parts have been labelled P, Q, R and S. Given below each sentence are four sequences namely (a), (b), (c) and (d). You are required to re-arrange the jumbled parts of the sentence and mark your response accordingly.
As the ship streams from San Diego
P. as walls of gray water from a distant storm in the North Pacific
Q. making the greener among us miserable with seasickness
R. rock and toss the ship
S. those of us aboard have a personal demonstration of powerful ocean movement
Directions: Each of the following items in this section consists of a sentence, the parts of which have been jumbled. These parts have been labelled P, Q, R and S. Given below each sentence are four sequences namely (a), (b), (c) and (d). You are required to re-arrange the jumbled parts of the sentence and mark your response accordingly.
Scientists point out
P. of sunspot activity
Q. that it is an aftermath that
R. has now reached its peak
S. of the eleven-year cycle
Directions: Each of the following items in this section consists of a sentence, the pans of which have been jumbled. These parts have been labelled P, Q, R and S. Given below each sentence are four sequences namely (a), (b), (c) and (d). You are required to re-arrange the jumbled parts of the sentence and mark your response accordingly.
The spirit of man
P. has slowly and painfully surmounted
Q. and his growing intelligence
R. all the obstacles that have come in his way
S. has faced all kinds of dangers
Directions: Each of the following items in this section consists of a sentence, the pans of which have been jumbled. These parts have been labelled P, Q, R and S. Given below each sentence are four sequences namely (a), (b), (c) and (d). You are required to re-arrange the jumbled parts of the sentence and mark your response accordingly.
After our school boys had won a well-contested hockey match
P. so that they might communicate the news of their victory to the headmaster
Q. who is a keen sportsman
R. they came to school in high spirits
S. and takes a very lively interest in school games
Important Questions from Para Jumbles
Rearrange the 4 disorganized sentences P, Q, R and S to form a meaningful paragraph.
P : cricket is a religion in India and
Q : most of the other sports suffer
R : due to the extra importance given to cricket as a game
S : it is known to all
Proper order is
A. PQSR
B. PSQR
C. QSPR
D. SPRQ
Rearrange the 4 disorganized sentences P, Q, R and S to form a meaningful paragraph.
P : is mostly produced in rural farms
Q : India is a leading producer of
R : milk is the most important of them and
S : dairy products by volume
Proper order is
A. SRPQ
B. QSPR
C. QPSR
D. QSRP
Rearrange the 4 disorganized sentences P, Q, R and S to form a meaningful paragraph.
P: mostly decided by the market conditions
Q: Sometimes, a United States dollar is worth only 12 pesos in Mexico
R: the rates of exchange between them vary from time to time
S: and some other time it can be 100 pesos
Proper order is -
A. PRSQ
B. QPRS
C. QSRP
D. QSPR
Directions: Given below are four jumbled sentences. Out of the given options select the one that gives their correct order.
A. Anush was very afraid of stray dogs.
B. Anush’s mother saw the dog chasing her son.
C. One evening, when a street dog barked at him, Anush turned and started running.
D. The dog ran after him barking loudly and fiercely.
Sentences of a paragraph are given below in jumbled order. Arrange the sentences in the right order to form a meaningful and coherent paragraph.
A. In arid regions it may form an almost erect shrub.
B. The grape is usually a woody vine, climbing by means of tendrils and often reaching a length of 17 metres or more.
C. Small greenish flowers, in clusters, precede the fruit, which varies in colour from almost black to green, red and amber.
D. The edible leaves are alternate, palmately lobed and always tooth-edged.
