Identifying the Grammatical Error

Let's analyze the given sentence to identify the segment that contains a grammatical error. The sentence is: "I know the cobbler which mends the shoes outside the gate of our colony."

We need to examine each part of the sentence, especially focusing on the options provided, to spot the error.

Analyzing the Sentence and Options

The sentence describes knowing a specific cobbler who performs the action of mending shoes at a particular location. Let's look at the options:

• the shoes: This phrase refers to footwear being mended. Grammatically, this part seems correct in the context of the sentence.
• outside the gate: This is a prepositional phrase indicating location. It describes where the shoes are mended or where the cobbler is located. This phrase is grammatically correct.
• I know the cobbler: This is the main clause of the sentence, consisting of a subject ("I"), verb ("know"), and direct object ("the cobbler"). This part is grammatically sound.
• which mends: This is part of the relative clause modifying "the cobbler". The clause is "which mends the shoes outside the gate...". This segment includes the relative pronoun "which" and the verb "mends". Let's examine this closely.

Understanding Relative Pronouns

Relative pronouns (like who, whom, whose, which, that) are used to introduce relative clauses, which provide extra information about a noun (the antecedent) in the main clause. The choice of relative pronoun depends on the antecedent and the pronoun's role in the relative clause:

• Who/Whom/Whose: Used for people. 'Who' is used when the pronoun is the subject of the relative clause. 'Whom' is used when it is the object. 'Whose' shows possession.
• Which: Used for things or animals.
• That: Can be used for people, things, or animals in restrictive clauses (clauses essential to the meaning of the sentence).

Identifying the Error in "which mends"

In the sentence, the antecedent of the relative pronoun is "the cobbler". A cobbler is a person. The relative clause is "which mends the shoes outside the gate of our colony". In this clause, the pronoun is acting as the subject performing the action "mends". Since the antecedent ("cobbler") is a person, the correct relative pronoun to use as a subject is "who", not "which". "Which" is used for things or animals.

Therefore, the use of "which" instead of "who" to refer to "the cobbler" is a grammatical error. The segment "which mends" contains this error.

Correcting the Sentence

The corrected sentence should use the relative pronoun "who" to refer to "the cobbler":

I know the cobbler who mends the shoes outside the gate of our colony.

Based on this analysis, the segment containing the grammatical error is "which mends".

Revision Table: Relative Pronoun Usage

Additional Information on Sentence Structure and Grammar

Understanding different parts of a sentence helps in identifying grammatical errors. A complex sentence often contains a main clause and one or more subordinate clauses, like the relative clause in our example.

• Main Clause: A complete sentence on its own (e.g., "I know the cobbler").
• Subordinate Clause: Depends on the main clause for its meaning (e.g., "who mends the shoes outside the gate of our colony").

In this sentence, "who mends the shoes outside the gate of our colony" is an adjective clause (or relative clause) modifying "cobbler". These clauses are introduced by relative pronouns or relative adverbs.

Correctly choosing the relative pronoun is crucial for grammatical accuracy and clarity in English sentences. Errors in relative pronoun usage, like using "which" for a person, are common grammatical errors that should be identified and corrected.