Directions: In the given sentence identify the segment which contains the grammatical error. A Royal Bengal tigress and her three cubs was poisoned and their carcasses left to rot in the Wildlife Sanctuary in Goa
and her three cubs was poisoned
Analyzing Grammatical Errors: Subject-Verb Agreement
The question asks us to identify the segment in the given sentence that contains a grammatical error. Let's examine the sentence provided:
"A Royal Bengal tigress and her three cubs was poisoned and their carcasses left to rot in the Wildlife Sanctuary in Goa"
Identifying the Subject and Verb
In the first part of the sentence, the subject is "A Royal Bengal tigress and her three cubs". This is a compound subject, consisting of two parts joined by "and".
- Part 1: A Royal Bengal tigress (singular)
- Part 2: her three cubs (plural)
When two subjects are joined by "and", the compound subject is generally considered plural.
The verb associated with this subject is "was poisoned".
Checking Subject-Verb Agreement
Subject-verb agreement dictates that a singular subject takes a singular verb, and a plural subject takes a plural verb.
- The subject "A Royal Bengal tigress and her three cubs" is plural (it refers to more than one animal).
- The verb "was poisoned" is singular (it uses the singular form 'was').
Therefore, there is a subject-verb agreement error. The plural subject requires a plural verb.
The correct verb form should be "were poisoned".
Locating the Error Segment
The segment containing the incorrect verb "was poisoned" is "and her three cubs was poisoned".
Examining Other Options
- Option 1: A Royal Bengal tigress - This is a noun phrase, a subject component, and is grammatically correct on its own.
- Option 3: and their carcasses left to rot - "their carcasses" refers back to the plural subject (tigress and cubs). "left to rot" is part of a passive construction indicating what happened to the carcasses. This segment is grammatically sound in relation to the plural subject.
- Option 4: in the Wildlife Sanctuary in Goa - This is a prepositional phrase indicating location. It is grammatically correct.
Based on the analysis, the error is clearly in the segment "and her three cubs was poisoned" due to the singular verb "was" being used with a plural subject "A Royal Bengal tigress and her three cubs".
Corrected Sentence
The corrected sentence would be:
"A Royal Bengal tigress and her three cubs were poisoned and their carcasses left to rot in the Wildlife Sanctuary in Goa."
| Sentence Segment | Analysis | Error |
|---|---|---|
| A Royal Bengal tigress | Part of compound subject | None |
| and her three cubs was poisoned | Compound subject + Verb | Yes, 'was' should be 'were' (Subject-Verb Agreement) |
| and their carcasses left to rot | Conjunction + Noun phrase + participial phrase | None |
| in the Wildlife Sanctuary in Goa | Prepositional phrase | None |
Revision Table: Subject-Verb Agreement Rules
| Subject Type | Verb Form (Present Tense Example) | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Singular Noun/Pronoun | Singular Verb (ends in -s) | The dog barks. She sings. |
| Plural Noun/Pronoun | Plural Verb (base form) | The dogs bark. They sing. |
| Compound Subject (joined by 'and') | Plural Verb | John and Mary walk. The book and the pen are on the table. |
| Compound Subject (joined by 'or' or 'nor') | Verb agrees with the subject closest to it | Neither he nor they are coming. Neither they nor he is coming. |
Additional Information: Compound Subjects
A compound subject consists of two or more simple subjects joined by a conjunction. The conjunction used affects whether the compound subject is treated as singular or plural for verb agreement.
- Joined by "and": When subjects are joined by "and", they usually form a plural subject, requiring a plural verb. Example: Cats and dogs are popular pets.
- Joined by "or" or "nor": When subjects are joined by "or" or "nor", the verb agrees with the subject that is nearer to it. Example: Either the students or the teacher is responsible. Neither the teacher nor the students are responsible.
- Joined by "as well as", "in addition to", "together with": When these phrases join two subjects, the verb agrees with the first subject mentioned. Example: The manager, as well as the employees, is attending the meeting.
Understanding compound subjects is key to mastering subject-verb agreement in English grammar, helping to avoid common grammatical errors in sentences like the one about the Royal Bengal tigress and her cubs.
Important Questions from Error Spotting
Direction: Each item in this section has a sentence with three underlined parts labelled (a), (b) and (c) Read each sentence to determine whether there is an error in any underlined part 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 honest mistake (a) / is no more than that; (b) / just an honest mistake. (c) / No error (d)Direction: Each item in this section has a sentence with three underlined parts labelled (a), (b) and (c) Read each sentence to determine whether there is any error in any underlined part 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 company of five thousand soldiers , (a) / having marched tirelessly for over five days , (b) / have just moved into their cantonment . (c) / No error (d)Direction: Each item in this section has a sentence with three underlined parts labelled (a), (b) and (c) Read each sentence to determine whether there is an error in any underlined part 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).
Every person who believes in principles (a) / must stand up to fight (b) / for their convictions . (c) / No error (d)Direction: Each item in this section has a sentence with three underlined parts labelled (a), (b) and (c) Read each sentence to determine whether there is any error in any underlined part 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).
The Olympic Games reflects(a) / the highest spirit of (b) / human endeavour and achievement . (c) / No error (d)Direction: Each item in this section has a sentence with three underlined parts labelled (a), (b) and (c) Read each sentence to determine whether there is an error in any underlined part 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).
The principal of the school (a) / stressed the need for discipline (b) / amongst the students. (c) / No error (d)
