Directions: Each item in this section has a sentence with three underlined parts labelled (a), (b) and (c). Read each sentence to find out whether there is any error in any underlined part. 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) She didn't (b) tell anybody (c) about her plans. (d) No Error
D
Understanding Sentence Error Identification
In this question, we are asked to identify if there is any grammatical error in the given sentence: "She didn't tell anybody about her plans." The sentence is divided into three parts, labelled (a), (b), and (c), and we also have an option (d) for 'No Error'.
Analyzing the Sentence for Errors
Let's break down the sentence part by part to check for any grammatical mistakes or inappropriate word usage.
Examining Part (a): 'She didn't'
This part of the sentence is "She didn't". 'Didn't' is a contraction for 'did not'. This is the past simple tense negative form of the verb 'do'. The subject is 'She', which is a third-person singular pronoun. In the past simple tense, the auxiliary verb 'did' is used for all subjects (I, you, he, she, it, we, they). Therefore, 'She did not' or 'She didn't' is grammatically correct for forming a negative sentence in the past simple tense.
There appears to be no error in part (a).
Examining Part (b): 'tell anybody'
This part is "tell anybody". When we use the auxiliary verb 'did' or 'didn't' in the past simple tense, the main verb that follows must be in its base form. The base form of the verb 'told' is 'tell'. The sentence uses 'tell', which is the correct base form after 'didn't'.
'Anybody' is an indefinite pronoun. It is commonly used in negative sentences and questions. The sentence "She didn't tell anybody..." is a negative sentence, so using 'anybody' here is appropriate. Using 'somebody' would typically be incorrect in a negative structure like this.
There appears to be no error in part (b).
Examining Part (c): 'about her plans'
This part is "about her plans". This is a prepositional phrase that describes what she didn't tell 'anybody' about. The preposition 'about' is correctly used here to indicate the topic of what was not told. 'Her' is a possessive pronoun referring back to the subject 'She', which is correct. 'Plans' is a plural noun, which fits the context of having multiple intentions or arrangements.
There appears to be no error in part (c).
Conclusion on Sentence Error
After examining each part of the sentence "She didn't tell anybody about her plans.", we found no grammatical error in parts (a), (b), or (c). The sentence is correctly constructed using the past simple negative tense, the base form of the verb, and appropriate use of the indefinite pronoun 'anybody' and the prepositional phrase.
Therefore, the sentence contains no error.
| Part | Phrase | Analysis | Error? |
|---|---|---|---|
| (a) | She didn't | Correct subject-verb agreement for past simple negative. | No |
| (b) | tell anybody | Correct base form of verb after 'didn't'; 'anybody' correct in negative sentence. | No |
| (c) | about her plans | Correct preposition and possessive pronoun usage. | No |
Revision Table: Common Sentence Errors
Understanding common errors helps in identifying mistakes quickly.
- Subject-Verb Agreement: Subject and verb must agree in number (e.g., 'She walks', 'They walk').
- Verb Tense Consistency: Tenses should be consistent within a sentence or passage unless a time change is indicated.
- Incorrect Verb Forms: Using the wrong form of a verb (e.g., using past tense after 'did not').
- Pronoun Errors: Using the wrong pronoun (e.g., subject vs. object, agreement with antecedent).
- Misplaced Modifiers: Phrases or clauses placed in a way that makes the meaning unclear.
- Incorrect Preposition Usage: Using the wrong preposition in a phrase.
- Article Errors: Incorrect use of 'a', 'an', or 'the'.
Additional Information: Negative Sentences and Indefinite Pronouns
Negative sentences often use indefinite pronouns starting with 'any-'.
- Positive Sentence: She told somebody about her plans.
- Negative Sentence: She didn't tell anybody about her plans.
- Question: Did she tell anybody about her plans?
Using 'somebody' or 'someone' in negative sentences is usually incorrect unless it's for specific emphasis or a particular structure (like 'not just anybody'). The standard indefinite pronoun for negative statements is 'anybody', 'anyone', 'anything', etc.
Similar Questions
Directions: Each item in this section has a sentence with three underlined parts labelled (a), (b) and (c). Read each sentence to find out whether there is any error in any underlined part. 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).
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Ten thousand dollars is (a) / the prize money being offered (b) / by the game show hosts. (c) / No error (d)
Important Questions from Error Spotting
The following sentence has been split into four segments. Identify the segment that contains a grammatical error.
Fortunately, / the fire did not / caused much damage / to the building.
The following sentence has been divided into parts. One of them may contain an error. Select the part that contains the error from the given options. If you don’t find any error, mark ‘No error’ as your answer.
Neither of them have / any experience / in software development.
The following sentence has been split into four segments. Identify the segment that contains a grammatical error.
Each of the students were / present for / the valedictory session / that night.
From the given options, identify the segment in the sentence which contains the grammatical error.
If you prepare well, you wouldn't have failed the exam.
Directions: Identify the segment in the sentence which contains grammatical error from the given options.
Thunderstorms develop in hot, humid tropical areas like India much to frequently.
