In the given sentence identify the segment which contains a grammatical error. There are some members who haven't paid his subscription yet.
his subscription yet
Identifying Grammatical Errors in English Sentences
Let's carefully examine the sentence provided to find the grammatical error: "There are some members who haven't paid his subscription yet." We need to identify the segment that contains a mistake in grammar.
Analyzing the Sentence Structure
The sentence starts with "There are", which is a common structure to introduce the existence of something. The subject introduced is "some members".
- "There are": Introduces the subject.
- "some members": This is the main subject of the clause "There are some members". It is plural.
- "who": This is a relative pronoun referring back to "some members".
- "haven't paid": This is the verb phrase associated with the relative pronoun "who" (and thus referring back to "some members").
- "his subscription yet": This segment describes what "some members" haven't paid.
Locating the Grammatical Error: Pronoun Agreement
The error lies in the phrase "his subscription yet". We need to look at the pronoun "his" and see what noun it is referring to. The pronoun "his" refers back to "some members".
Here's the rule: Possessive pronouns must agree in number and gender with the noun they refer to (their antecedent).
- The antecedent is "some members". This is a plural noun.
- The possessive pronoun used is "his". This is a singular possessive pronoun (referring to a male individual).
A singular possessive pronoun ("his") cannot correctly refer to a plural antecedent ("some members"). The pronoun should be plural to match the plural subject. The correct possessive pronoun for a plural antecedent like "members" is "their".
Therefore, the phrase "his subscription yet" contains a grammatical error because "his" should be "their" to agree with "some members".
Correcting the Grammatical Error
To correct the sentence, we would change "his" to "their":
Corrected Sentence: "There are some members who haven't paid their subscription yet."
Conclusion on the Grammatical Error Segment
Based on the analysis of pronoun agreement, the segment containing the grammatical error is "his subscription yet". This segment incorrectly uses the singular possessive pronoun "his" to refer to the plural antecedent "some members".
| Sentence Segment | Analysis | Grammatical Status |
|---|---|---|
| There are | Standard existential clause opening, agrees with plural subject "members". | Correct |
| some members | Plural subject. | Correct |
| who haven't paid | Relative clause with verb phrase agreeing with "who" (referring to "members"). | Correct |
| his subscription yet | Possessive pronoun "his" is singular, refers to plural "members". | Incorrect |
Revision Table: Mastering Pronoun Agreement Errors
Pronoun agreement is a common area for errors. Here’s a quick guide:
| Antecedent (Noun Pronoun Refers To) | Required Pronoun Type | Example (Incorrect > Correct) |
|---|---|---|
| Singular (e.g., student, dog) | Singular (he, she, it, his, her, its) | Each student should bring their book. > Each student should bring his or her book. |
| Plural (e.g., students, dogs) | Plural (they, them, their) | The students finished his assignment. > The students finished their assignment. |
| Indefinite Pronouns (singular: everyone, somebody, each) | Often singular (he, she, his, her), though "they/their" is increasingly common in informal contexts or for gender neutrality. Formal writing prefers singular. | Everyone must bring their own lunch. > Everyone must bring his or her own lunch. |
Additional Information on Grammatical Errors and Antecedents
Understanding antecedents is key to avoiding pronoun agreement errors. An antecedent is simply the word (usually a noun or noun phrase) that a pronoun refers back to.
- In the sentence "The cat chased its tail," "cat" is the antecedent of "its".
- In the sentence "When the friends arrived, they were tired," "friends" is the antecedent of "they".
Ensuring the pronoun matches its antecedent in number (singular/plural) and sometimes gender helps make sentences clear and grammatically correct. Errors like using a singular pronoun for a plural antecedent, as seen in the original sentence, are important to spot and correct for clear communication.
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)
