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 errors, select 'No Error'. The mobile phone which was primarily used to communicate with the outside world, (1)/ has now become our primary instrument (2)/ of being wrapped up in our own self. (3)/ No error (4)
3
Finding Grammatical Errors in Sentences
Let's break down the sentence to identify any grammatical errors. The sentence is:
The mobile phone which was primarily used to communicate with the outside world, (1)/ has now become our primary instrument (2)/ of being wrapped up in our own self. (3)/ No error (4)
Analyzing Each Part of the Sentence
Part 1: "The mobile phone which was primarily used to communicate with the outside world,"
This part describes the historical primary use of mobile phones. The relative pronoun "which" correctly refers to "The mobile phone". The past tense passive voice "was primarily used" is appropriate for describing a past function. The phrase "to communicate with the outside world" is grammatically sound.
This part seems correct.
Part 2: "has now become our primary instrument"
This part describes the current state or role of the mobile phone. The present perfect tense "has now become" correctly indicates a change that started in the past and has results in the present. The phrase "our primary instrument" is grammatically correct and functions as the object of the verb "become".
This part also seems correct.
Part 3: "of being wrapped up in our own self."
This part describes what the mobile phone has become an instrument of. The phrase "wrapped up" is part of an idiom meaning to be completely engrossed or absorbed in something. However, the phrasing "wrapped up in our own self" is unidiomatic and grammatically incorrect. The correct idiom uses a reflexive pronoun that matches the subject or context.
- If referring to "our" (matching "our primary instrument"), the correct reflexive pronoun is "ourselves". The idiom should be "wrapped up in ourselves".
- A more general idiom is "wrapped up in oneself", using the indefinite pronoun "oneself". However, given the context of "our primary instrument", "ourselves" is a more natural fit.
The use of "own self" is not standard English idiomatic usage in this context. Therefore, there is an error in this part of the sentence.
Part 4: No error
Since an error has been found in Part 3, this option is incorrect.
Identifying the Correct Option
Based on the analysis, the error lies in Part 3 due to the incorrect and unidiomatic phrase "wrapped up in our own self" instead of the correct "wrapped up in ourselves".
Therefore, the part of the sentence with the error is (3).
The correct option is 3.
| Part | Sentence Fragment | Analysis | Error? |
|---|---|---|---|
| (1) | The mobile phone which was primarily used to communicate with the outside world, | Grammatically correct; describes past use. | No |
| (2) | has now become our primary instrument | Grammatically correct; describes current role. | No |
| (3) | of being wrapped up in our own self. | Incorrect idiom; should be "wrapped up in ourselves". | Yes |
| (4) | No error | Incorrect as there is an error in Part (3). | No |
Revision Table: Common Idiomatic Errors
Idioms are phrases where the meaning is not immediately clear from the individual words. Using the correct form of an idiom is crucial for grammatical accuracy.
| Incorrect Usage | Correct Idiom/Usage | Explanation |
|---|---|---|
| wrapped up in his own self | wrapped up in himself | Use the reflexive pronoun matching the subject. |
| take it for granted that | take it for granted | "That" is often unnecessary with this idiom unless followed by a clause. |
| cut a sorry figure | cut a sorry figure | An idiom meaning to make a poor impression. (Example of a correct idiom structure) |
Additional Information: Pronoun Agreement with Idioms
When using idioms involving reflexive pronouns (like myself, yourself, himself, herself, itself, ourselves, yourselves, themselves, oneself), the pronoun must agree with the subject or the context it refers to. In the sentence provided, "our primary instrument" refers to "us" or "we", hence the idiom requires the reflexive pronoun "ourselves" to agree.
- Incorrect: He was wrapped up in her own self. (Should be "himself")
- Incorrect: They were wrapped up in my own self. (Should be "themselves")
- Correct: She was wrapped up in herself.
- Correct: We were wrapped up in ourselves.
- Correct: One gets wrapped up in oneself sometimes.
Understanding these specific idiomatic structures is key to spotting sentence correction errors.
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)
