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'. Mothers keep on (A)/ to encouraging their children (B)/ to study. (C)/ No Error (D)
B
Understanding Sentence Error Detection
This question asks us to identify the part of the sentence that contains a grammatical error. We need to examine each part of the sentence carefully to find any incorrect usage of words, verb forms, prepositions, or other grammatical structures.
Analyzing the Sentence Parts
Let's break down the sentence into the given parts:
- (A) Mothers keep on
- (B) to encouraging their children
- (C) to study.
- (D) No Error
Examining Each Part for Grammatical Errors
Part (A): Mothers keep on
This part of the sentence, "Mothers keep on," is grammatically correct. "Mothers" is a plural noun, and "keep on" is the correct form of the verb phrase for a plural subject in the present tense. The phrase "keep on" means to continue doing something.
Part (B): to encouraging their children
This part contains the potential error. The verb phrase "keep on" is an idiom that is typically followed by a gerund (the -ing form of a verb) to indicate continuous action. The structure should be "keep on + gerund". Here, it is followed by "to encouraging", which is incorrect. The correct structure should be "encouraging".
The phrase should be "keep on encouraging their children".
Part (C): to study.
This part, "to study," follows the main action "encouraging their children". Mothers encourage their children *to do what*? To study. The infinitive form "to study" correctly indicates the purpose or the encouraged action here. This part is grammatically correct in the context of the sentence.
Identifying the Error
Based on the analysis, the error lies in part (B), where "to encouraging" is used instead of the correct gerund form "encouraging" after the verb phrase "keep on".
Corrected Sentence
The corrected sentence would be: "Mothers keep on encouraging their children to study."
Summary of Error Analysis
| Part | Phrase | Analysis | Error |
|---|---|---|---|
| A | Mothers keep on | Correct subject-verb agreement and verb phrase usage. | No |
| B | to encouraging their children | Incorrect form after "keep on"; should be a gerund (-ing form). | Yes |
| C | to study. | Correct use of infinitive to indicate the action being encouraged. | No |
Therefore, the part of the sentence with the error is (B).
Revision Table: Common Verb Patterns
| Verb/Phrase | Followed by | Example |
|---|---|---|
| keep on | Gerund (-ing) | She kept on talking. |
| stop | Gerund (-ing) or Infinitive (to + verb) | He stopped smoking. (quit) He stopped to smoke. (paused to do it) |
| enjoy | Gerund (-ing) | They enjoy traveling. |
| decide | Infinitive (to + verb) | We decided to leave. |
Additional Information: Verbs Followed by Gerunds or Infinitives
Understanding which form of a verb (gerund or infinitive) follows another verb or verb phrase is crucial for correct sentence construction. Many verbs are consistently followed by either a gerund or an infinitive, while some can be followed by both, sometimes with a change in meaning.
- Verbs followed by Gerunds: Examples include admit, avoid, consider, deny, discuss, finish, imagine, mind, miss, recommend, suggest, risk, practice, etc.
- Verbs followed by Infinitives: Examples include agree, ask, decide, expect, hope, learn, manage, offer, plan, promise, refuse, seem, want, wish, etc.
- Verbs followed by either (often with meaning change): Examples include stop, remember, forget, try, regret, etc.
- Phrasal verbs like "keep on" are often followed by a gerund. Other examples include "give up" (give up smoking), "put off" (put off deciding), "carry on" (carry on working).
In this question, the phrase "keep on" belongs to the category that requires a gerund, making "encouraging" the correct form.
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)
