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 the (1)/ furnitures also (2)/ burn down by the fire. (3)/ No error (4)
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Understanding Sentence Error Detection
This question asks us to identify the part of the sentence that contains a grammatical error. We need to read each part carefully and check for mistakes in grammar, usage, or structure. The sentence is broken into three parts, followed by an option for 'No error'.
Let's examine each part of the sentence:
- Part (1): "All the"
- Part (2): "furnitures also"
- Part (3): "burn down by the fire."
- Part (4): "No error"
Analyzing Each Part for Grammatical Errors
We will now analyze each section to pinpoint any grammatical issues.
Analysis of Part (1): "All the"
This part uses the determiner "All" followed by the article "the". "All" can be used with both countable and uncountable nouns. Since the sentence is talking about "furniture" (which we will discuss in Part 2), "All the" is grammatically correct in this context. There is no error in part (1).
Analysis of Part (2): "furnitures also"
This part contains the word "furnitures". The word "furniture" is an uncountable noun in English. Uncountable nouns refer to things that cannot be counted individually and do not typically have a plural form. For example, words like 'information', 'advice', 'luggage', 'news', 'water', 'rice', and 'furniture' are generally treated as uncountable.
Since "furniture" is uncountable, it should not be used with an 's' at the end to make it plural. Therefore, "furnitures" is incorrect. The correct word is "furniture". The word "also" seems fine in this context, assuming it adds an idea of something else burning down besides the furniture, but the clear error is with "furnitures".
Here are some examples of correct usage of 'furniture':
- The furniture in the room is old. (Not furnitures)
- We bought some new furniture. (Not furnitures)
- A piece of furniture. (To refer to one item)
The use of "furnitures" instead of "furniture" is a significant grammatical error.
Analysis of Part (3): "burn down by the fire."
This part describes what happened to the furniture. The phrase "burn down by the fire" suggests that the fire caused the burning. This structure is passive ("burn down by..."). However, the verb tense used ("burn down") might be incorrect depending on the intended meaning. If the event happened in the past, the past participle form "burned down" or "burnt down" would be required in a passive structure (e.g., "was burned down by the fire" or "were burned down by the fire", though 'furniture' is uncountable and usually takes a singular verb, the subject 'All the furniture' makes the verb agreement tricky, but the primary error identified by the option is in part 2). While there might be an issue with the verb form/tense in part (3), the error in part (2) is a clear case of incorrect noun usage (using a plural form for an uncountable noun).
Identifying the Part with the Error
Based on our analysis, part (2) contains a definite and clear grammatical error: the use of "furnitures" instead of the uncountable noun "furniture". While part (3) might also have a potential issue with verb form, the most prominent error highlighted by the options is typically the one intended. The pluralisation of the uncountable noun "furniture" is a fundamental error in English grammar.
Therefore, the part of the sentence with the error is part (2).
| Part | Text | Analysis | Error? |
|---|---|---|---|
| (1) | All the | Correct usage with uncountable nouns. | No |
| (2) | furnitures also | "Furnitures" is incorrect. "Furniture" is uncountable. | Yes |
| (3) | burn down by the fire. | Passive structure. Verb form might be incorrect (should likely be "burned down"). | Possible (but less clear than part 2's error) |
| (4) | No error | Sentence contains an error. | No |
Conclusion on Sentence Error
The error lies in part (2) due to the incorrect plural form "furnitures". The noun "furniture" must be used in its singular, uncountable form.
Revision Table: English Grammar Errors
| Error Type | Explanation | Example (Incorrect > Correct) |
|---|---|---|
| Uncountable Noun Pluralisation | Using plural forms (-s/-es) for uncountable nouns like furniture, information, advice, luggage. | furnitures > furniture, informations > information, advices > advice |
| Subject-Verb Agreement | Verb form doesn't match the subject in number (singular/plural). Note: Uncountable nouns usually take singular verbs. | The furniture are old > The furniture is old |
| Incorrect Verb Tense/Form | Using the wrong tense or form of a verb (e.g., simple form instead of past participle in passive voice). | It burn down > It was burned down |
Additional Information on Uncountable Nouns
Uncountable nouns are a key concept in English grammar. They cannot be counted as separate items. To quantify them, we often use phrases like 'a piece of', 'a lot of', 'much', or specific units where applicable (e.g., 'a glass of water').
Common examples of uncountable nouns:
- Abstract concepts: information, advice, happiness, knowledge, freedom.
- Materials: water, milk, gold, wood, paper.
- Categories/Collections: furniture, luggage, equipment, machinery, stationery, money.
- Natural phenomena: rain, snow, sunshine.
- Substances/Gases: air, oxygen, sugar, salt, rice, bread.
Remember that uncountable nouns usually take a singular verb.
In the given sentence, 'furniture' falls into the category of collections or categories and is treated as uncountable. Therefore, "furnitures" is incorrect, and "furniture" should be used.
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)
