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) In 1989, the government (b) did an about-face and Iran restored (c) it's family planning program. (d) No Error
C
Identifying English Grammar Errors
The question asks us to find an error in the given sentence, which is divided into three parts: (a), (b), and (c).
Let's examine each part carefully to check for any grammatical mistakes, punctuation errors, or incorrect word usage.
Analyzing Part (a): In 1989, the government
Part (a) of the sentence is "In 1989, the government".
- "In 1989" is a time phrase indicating a specific year. This is correctly introduced with the preposition "In".
- A comma follows the introductory time phrase, which is correct.
- "the government" is the subject of the first clause. This is grammatically sound.
Based on this analysis, part (a) appears to be grammatically correct and contains no errors.
Analyzing Part (b): did an about-face and Iran restored
Part (b) of the sentence is "did an about-face and Iran restored".
- "did an about-face" is a common idiom meaning to reverse a policy or position. The usage is appropriate here.
- "and Iran restored" connects two clauses with the conjunction "and". "Iran" is the subject of the second clause, and "restored" is the verb. This structure is correct for a compound sentence.
Based on this analysis, part (b) appears to be grammatically correct and contains no errors.
Analyzing Part (c): it's family planning program.
Part (c) of the sentence is "it's family planning program."
This part contains the word "it's". Let's understand the usage of "it's" and "its":
- It's: This is a contraction for "it is" or "it has". For example, "It's raining" (It is raining) or "It's been a long day" (It has been a long day).
- Its: This is a possessive pronoun (like 'his', 'her', 'their') used to show ownership. It means "belonging to it". For example, "The dog wagged its tail."
In the sentence, "family planning program" belongs to "Iran" (which is referred to as "it" in this context). Therefore, we need the possessive form, which is "its". The sentence is trying to say "Iran restored its family planning program".
The use of "it's" in part (c) is incorrect because it means "it is" or "it has", neither of which makes sense in this context. The correct word should be "its".
Based on this analysis, part (c) contains a grammatical error.
Conclusion on the Error
We have analyzed all three parts:
- Part (a): No error.
- Part (b): No error.
- Part (c): Contains an error (using "it's" instead of "its").
Therefore, the error is in part (c).
The correct sentence should be: "In 1989, the government did an about-face and Iran restored its family planning program."
The option corresponding to the error in part (c) is option C.
| Part | Text | Analysis | Error? |
|---|---|---|---|
| (a) | In 1989, the government | Time phrase + subject. Correct structure. | No |
| (b) | did an about-face and Iran restored | Idiom usage + conjunction + subject + verb. Correct structure. | No |
| (c) | it's family planning program. | Uses "it's" (it is/has) instead of "its" (possessive). Incorrect. | Yes |
Revision Table: It's vs Its
Understanding the difference between "it's" and "its" is crucial for correct English grammar. Here is a quick revision:
| Term | Meaning | Type | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| It's | It is | Contraction | It's a beautiful day. |
| It's | It has | Contraction | It's been fun. |
| Its | Belonging to it | Possessive Pronoun | The cat licked its paw. |
Additional Information on Possessive Pronouns and Contractions
Possessive pronouns show ownership or relation. Some common possessive pronouns include 'my', 'your', 'his', 'her', 'its', 'our', and 'their'. None of these possessive pronouns use an apostrophe.
Contractions are shortened forms of words or groups of words, where letters are omitted and replaced by an apostrophe. Common contractions include 'you're' (you are), 'they're' (they are), 'we're' (we are), 'who's' (who is/has), and 'it's' (it is/has).
A common point of confusion arises because the apostrophe is often used to show possession in nouns (e.g., 'the dog's bone'), but this rule does not apply to possessive pronouns like 'its'.
Always check if you mean "it is" or "it has". If not, you likely need the possessive "its".
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.
