Directions: In the following question, some part of the sentence may have errors. Find out which part of the sentence has an error and select the appropriate option. If a sentence is free from error, select 'No Error'. Today people is ignorant (A)/ of the things that (B)/ are happening around them. (C)/ No Error (D)
A
Identifying Grammatical Errors in Sentences
The question asks us to identify the part of the sentence that contains a grammatical error. The sentence is broken into three parts, (A), (B), and (C), with (D) representing 'No Error'. We need to examine each part carefully.
The given sentence is:
Today people is ignorant (A)/ of the things that (B)/ are happening around them. (C)/ No Error (D)
Analysis of Each Part
Let's look at each section of the sentence:
- Part (A): "Today people is ignorant"
- Part (B): "of the things that"
- Part (C): "are happening around them."
- Part (D): "No Error"
Detailed Examination of Part (A)
Part (A) reads "Today people is ignorant". We need to check the subject and its verb for agreement. The subject of this clause is "people". The noun "people" is generally considered a plural noun (referring to humans collectively). The verb used with "people" should therefore be plural.
The verb used here is "is". "Is" is the singular form of the verb 'to be'. For a plural subject like "people", the correct form of the verb 'to be' in the present tense is "are".
Therefore, the phrase "people is" is incorrect. It should be "people are".
Detailed Examination of Part (B)
Part (B) is "of the things that". This part serves as a prepositional phrase modifying "ignorant". The relative pronoun "that" refers to "things", which is plural. This part appears grammatically correct in this context.
Detailed Examination of Part (C)
Part (C) is "are happening around them." This is a clause describing the "things" mentioned in part (B). The subject of this clause is the relative pronoun "that", which refers back to "things". Since "things" is plural, the verb referring to "things" should also be plural. The verb used is "are happening", which uses the plural form "are". The pronoun "them" correctly refers to "things". This part also appears grammatically correct.
Identifying the Error
Based on our analysis, the error lies in part (A) where the plural subject "people" is used with the singular verb "is". The correct form should be "people are".
The corrected sentence would be: Today people are ignorant of the things that are happening around them.
Thus, the error is in part (A).
Subject-Verb Agreement Rule
A fundamental rule of English grammar is subject-verb agreement. This rule states that a singular subject takes a singular verb, and a plural subject takes a plural verb.
- Singular Subject + Singular Verb (e.g., The cat eats.)
- Plural Subject + Plural Verb (e.g., The cats eat.)
- Certain nouns like "people" are treated as plural and require a plural verb.
| Subject | Verb Form | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Singular Noun (e.g., person, cat) | Singular Verb (ends in -s/-es in simple present for 3rd person singular) | A person walks. The cat is sleeping. |
| Plural Noun (e.g., people, cats) | Plural Verb (base form in simple present for most verbs) | People walk. The cats are sleeping. |
In the sentence, "people" is a plural subject, requiring the plural verb "are". The original sentence used "is", which is singular, violating the subject-verb agreement rule.
Conclusion on the Error Location
The part of the sentence with the error is (A) "Today people is ignorant".
Revision Table: Common Subject-Verb Agreement Issues
| Subject Type | Examples | Correct Verb (Present Tense) | Incorrect Verb (Present Tense) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Plural Nouns | people, children, dogs, books | are, walk, study, read | is, walks, studies, reads |
| Singular Nouns | a person, a child, a dog, a book | is, walks, studies, reads | are, walk, study, read |
| Collective Nouns (can be singular or plural depending on context) | team, committee, family | is (as a unit) OR are (as individuals) | Varies |
| Indefinite Pronouns (singular) | everyone, everything, nobody, something | is, knows, goes | are, know, go |
Additional Information: Understanding 'People' as a Noun
The word 'people' is most commonly used as a plural noun meaning 'human beings in general' or 'the members of a particular nation, community, or ethnic group'. In this sense, it always takes a plural verb, as seen in the question.
For example:
- Many people enjoy reading. (Correct)
- Many people enjoys reading. (Incorrect)
However, 'people' can also be used as a singular noun meaning 'a nation' or 'an ethnic group'. In this less common usage, its plural form is 'peoples'.
For example:
- The English-speaking peoples share a common heritage. (Here 'peoples' is plural, meaning different nations/groups).
In the context of the given sentence, "Today people is ignorant...", 'people' refers to humans generally, making it a plural noun requiring a plural verb.
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