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'. The excessive use of pesticides (1)/ has negatively (2)/ effected soil output. (3)/ No error (4)
3
Understanding the Sentence and Identifying Errors
The question asks us to find the part of the sentence that contains a grammatical error. The sentence discusses the impact of using pesticides on soil output.
Let's break down the sentence into its numbered parts:
- The excessive use of pesticides
- has negatively
- effected soil output.
- No error
Analysing the Sentence Parts
We will examine each part to see if it follows grammatical rules.
- Part (1): "The excessive use of pesticides"
This part serves as the subject of the sentence. 'Use' is the main noun, modified by the adjective 'excessive'. 'of pesticides' is a prepositional phrase describing what is being used excessively. This structure is grammatically correct.
- Part (2): "has negatively"
'has' is part of the present perfect tense auxiliary verb. 'negatively' is an adverb modifying the verb that follows it. This structure is also grammatically correct so far.
- Part (3): "effected soil output."
This part contains the main verb form 'effected' and the object 'soil output'. The complete verb phrase combining with part (2) is "has negatively effected". The issue here lies in the choice of the word 'effected'.
Understanding Affect vs. Effect
The words 'affect' and 'effect' are often confused because they sound similar but have different meanings and uses, primarily as a verb or a noun.
- Affect:
Most commonly used as a verb meaning to influence or produce a change in something. Example: The weather will affect our plans.
- Effect:
Most commonly used as a noun meaning the result or outcome of an action or cause. Example: The medication had an immediate effect. 'Effect' can also be used as a verb, meaning to bring about, to cause, or to accomplish something (e.g., "to effect change").
Identifying the Error in Use of Pesticides Sentence
In the sentence, "The excessive use of pesticides has negatively effected soil output," the intended meaning is that the use of pesticides has influenced or had an impact on soil output. The verb needed here is one that means 'to influence'.
The verb 'affect' means 'to influence'. Its past participle is 'affected'.
The verb 'effect' means 'to bring about' or 'to cause'. Its past participle is 'effected'.
Since the sentence implies influence rather than bringing about or causing the soil output itself, the correct verb form is 'affected', not 'effected'. The correct phrase should be "has negatively affected soil output".
Therefore, the error is in part (3).
Conclusion on Pesticides and Soil Output Sentence
The error lies in the use of 'effected' instead of 'affected' in part (3). The sentence should correctly read: "The excessive use of pesticides has negatively affected soil output."
| Part | Text | Analysis | Error? |
|---|---|---|---|
| (1) | The excessive use of pesticides | Subject phrase, grammatically sound. | No |
| (2) | has negatively | Auxiliary verb and adverb, grammatically sound. | No |
| (3) | effected soil output. | Incorrect verb form (effected instead of affected). | Yes |
| (4) | No error | The sentence contains an error. | N/A |
The part of the sentence with the error is (3).
Revision Table: Common Grammatical Confusions
Let's look at some other words that are frequently confused in English grammar, similar to 'affect' and 'effect'.
| Confused Words | Meaning/Use 1 | Meaning/Use 2 |
|---|---|---|
| Affect / Effect | Affect (verb): To influence | Effect (noun): Result; Effect (verb): To bring about |
| Their / There / They're | Their: Possessive pronoun | There: Place or abstract idea; They're: Contraction of "they are" |
| To / Too / Two | To: Preposition or part of infinitive | Too: Also, excessively |
| Principal / Principle | Principal: Main, most important; Head of a school; Sum of money | Principle: A fundamental truth or belief |
Additional Information: Impact of Pesticides
Excessive use of pesticides in agriculture can have significant negative impacts on soil health and overall soil output or productivity. Pesticides can kill beneficial soil organisms like earthworms and microbes that are crucial for maintaining soil structure, nutrient cycling, and fertility. Over time, this can lead to degraded soil quality, reduced organic matter, and decreased ability of the soil to support plant growth, thus negatively affecting soil output.
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)
