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'. All that we admired and adored (1)/ before as great and magnificent (2)/ has been obliterated and demolished. (3)/ No error (4)
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Understanding Sentence Structure and Identifying Errors
The question asks us to identify if there is an error in any part of the given sentence and select the corresponding option. The sentence is divided into three parts, followed by a 'No error' option.
Let's examine each part of the sentence carefully:
- Part 1: All that we admired and adored
- Part 2: before as great and magnificent
- Part 3: has been obliterated and demolished.
- Part 4: No error
Analyzing Each Part for Grammar Errors
We will now analyze each segment for potential grammatical mistakes, focusing on aspects like subject-verb agreement, tense, usage, etc.
- Part 1: "All that we admired and adored"
This part introduces the subject, "All that". The relative clause "we admired and adored" modifies "All that". The verbs "admired" and "adored" are in the simple past tense, appropriate for actions performed "before" (mentioned in Part 2). This part sets up the subject and seems grammatically correct.
- Part 2: "before as great and magnificent"
This phrase describes how "All that" was perceived ("as great and magnificent") at a time mentioned as "before". The word "magnificent" (spelled here with a ligature 'fi') is an adjective used correctly to describe the quality of what was admired. The structure "admired/adored as X" is grammatically sound. This part appears correct in terms of grammar and meaning within the sentence context.
- Part 3: "has been obliterated and demolished."
This part contains the main verb phrase: "has been obliterated and demolished". This is a passive voice construction (has/have + been + past participle). The verbs "obliterated" and "demolished" are past participles, correctly linked by "and". The crucial point here is the auxiliary verb "has". We need to determine if the subject, "All that we admired and adored before as great and magnificent", requires a singular verb ("has been") or a plural verb ("have been").
The subject is "All that". When "All" refers to things (as opposed to people), the verb form depends on whether "All" is treated as a collective unit (singular) or refers to multiple individual items (plural). In a construction like "All that...", when 'that' refers to a collection of various things or concepts, 'All' is typically considered plural. For example, "All that glitter are not gold" is technically correct, although the singular proverb "All that glitters is not gold" treats "All that glitters" as a singular concept. In this sentence, "All that we admired and adored before as great and magnificent" refers to the collection of things or ideas that were once held in high esteem. This collection represents multiple items or concepts, making the subject "All that" effectively plural.
Therefore, the subject requires a plural verb. Instead of "has been obliterated and demolished", it should be "have been obliterated and demolished". This indicates a subject-verb agreement error.
Identifying the Error
Based on our analysis, the error lies in Part 3, where the singular verb "has been" is used with the plural subject "All that". The correct verb form should be plural, "have been".
The corrected sentence part would be: have been obliterated and demolished.
The complete corrected sentence would read: All that we admired and adored before as great and magnificent have been obliterated and demolished.
Since the error is in Part 3, the appropriate option is 3.
| Part | Sentence Segment | Analysis | Error |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | All that we admired and adored | Subject introduction, past tense verbs fit context. | No Error |
| 2 | before as great and magnificent | Adverbial phrase modifying admiration, adjectives used correctly. | No Error |
| 3 | has been obliterated and demolished. | Passive verb phrase. Subject "All that" referring to things is plural, requires plural verb "have been". | Subject-Verb Agreement Error |
| 4 | No error | Option if no error found in 1, 2, or 3. | N/A |
Revision Table: Key Grammar Concepts
Reviewing core concepts related to this error helps reinforce understanding.
| Concept | Explanation | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Subject-Verb Agreement | The verb in a sentence must agree in number (singular or plural) with its subject. | A single cat is sleeping. Many cats are sleeping. |
| "All" as a Subject | When "All" refers to count nouns (things that can be counted), it is usually plural and takes a plural verb. When "All" refers to a non-count noun or a singular concept, it is singular and takes a singular verb. In "All that...", if 'that' refers to multiple items, 'All' is plural. | All the students are here. All the water has leaked. All that were broken needed repair. |
| Passive Voice | Formed with a form of 'be' (is, am, are, was, were, being, been) + the past participle of the main verb. It is used when the action is more important than the doer, or the doer is unknown. | The cake was eaten by me. (Active: I ate the cake.) |
Additional Information: Understanding "All That"
The phrase "All that" can sometimes be tricky regarding subject-verb agreement because "All" can be used in different ways. When "All" refers to a group of distinct things or individuals (which is the case when it refers to "things we admired and adored"), it functions as a plural pronoun. Therefore, the verb must be plural.
- Consider "All that were lost have been found." Here, "All that" refers to multiple lost items/people.
- Consider "All that was needed is provided." Here, "All that" refers to a collective requirement or a single concept of "what was needed."
In the context of our sentence, "All that we admired and adored" clearly points to multiple things or concepts that were valued. Thus, the plural verb "have been" is required for correct subject-verb agreement.
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)
