Each question 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 and indicate your response. If you find no error, your response should be indicated as (d). His grandfather (a) had told him to smoke (b) was a bad habit . (C) No Error (d)
b
Understanding the Sentence Structure and Identifying Errors
The question asks us to find the part of the sentence that contains a grammatical error. The sentence provided is "His grandfather (a) had told him to smoke (b) was a bad habit . (C) No Error (d)". We need to examine each underlined part.
Analyzing Each Part of the Sentence
Let's break down the sentence and look at each section:
- Part (a): “had told him”
- Part (b): “to smoke was a bad habit”
- Part (c): “No Error”
Analysis of Part (a) - "had told him"
This part uses the past perfect tense ("had told") with a direct object ("him"). This structure is grammatically correct when introducing what someone said or communicated in the past relative to another past event. For example, "He told me..." or "He had told me...". In this context, leading into what was told, this part seems correct on its own.
Analysis of Part (b) - "to smoke was a bad habit"
This part contains the core of the message conveyed by the grandfather. The phrase "to smoke was a bad habit" functions as a clause where "to smoke" (an infinitive phrase used as a noun) is the subject and "was a bad habit" is the predicate. However, this clause is placed immediately after "had told him" without a connecting word.
The verb "tell" often introduces a noun clause, usually starting with "that", to report what was said. For example:
- He told me that the shop was closed.
- She told him that she would be late.
In the original sentence, the clause "to smoke was a bad habit" is intended to be the object of the verb "told". To correctly connect it, a conjunction like "that" is needed. The correct structure would be "His grandfather had told him that smoking was a bad habit." Using the gerund "smoking" as the subject of the noun clause is more natural here than the infinitive "to smoke".
Without "that", the sentence structure becomes awkward and ungrammatical. The phrase "to smoke was a bad habit" is treated as if it's directly renaming or describing "him", which is not the intended meaning.
Analysis of Part (c) - "No Error"
Since we have identified a grammatical issue in part (b), part (c) which states "No Error" cannot be the correct answer.
Identifying the Correct Error Part
Based on the analysis, the error lies in the way the statement "smoking was a bad habit" is introduced after "had told him". The absence of a conjunction like "that" makes part (b) grammatically incorrect in this context.
Revision Table: Correcting the Error
Here is a summary of the error and the correct form:
| Part with Error | Original Phrase | Explanation of Error | Suggested Correction |
|---|---|---|---|
| (b) | to smoke was a bad habit | Needs a conjunction like 'that' to introduce the reported statement as a noun clause after 'told him'. | that smoking was a bad habit |
Additional Information: Noun Clauses and the Verb 'Tell'
Understanding noun clauses and the usage of the verb 'tell' is crucial for identifying this type of grammar error.
What is a Noun Clause?
A noun clause is a dependent clause that functions as a noun within a sentence. It can act as a subject, object, or complement. Noun clauses are often introduced by words like 'that', 'what', 'who', 'where', 'when', 'why', 'how', 'whether', or 'if'.
In our sentence, "that smoking was a bad habit" is a noun clause acting as the direct object of the verb "told".
Usage of the Verb 'Tell'
The verb 'tell' is a transitive verb, meaning it usually requires a direct object (the person being told). It can then be followed by:
- A noun or pronoun representing what is told: He told me a secret.
- An infinitive phrase (for instructions/commands): He told me to wait here.
- A noun clause (reporting a statement): He told me that he was tired.
In the original sentence, the intended meaning requires the third structure (reporting a statement), which necessitates a noun clause introduced by "that". The original structure in part (b) fails to form a correct noun clause object for the verb "told".
Therefore, the error is definitively in part (b).
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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.
