The following question has a sentence with three underlined parts labelled (a), (b) and (c). Read each sentence to find out whether there is any error in any underlined part and indicate your response against the corresponding letter i.e., (a) or (b) or (c). If you find no error, your response should be indicated as (d). The old widower (a)living in remittances from his sons, (b)could not make both ends meet. (c) No error. (d)
B
Identifying Grammar Errors in Sentences
This question asks us to carefully read a sentence divided into three parts, labelled (a), (b), and (c), to find if there is any grammatical error in any of these parts. If no error is found, we should choose option (d).
Let's break down the sentence:
"The old widower (a)living in remittances from his sons, (b)could not make both ends meet. (c) No error. (d)"
Analyzing Each Part of the Sentence
We will examine each underlined part to check for potential errors in grammar, usage, or structure.
Part (a): "living in remittances from his sons,"
This part is a participial phrase modifying "The old widower." It describes how the widower is supported. The phrase is "living in remittances." While grammatically possible, the more standard and natural English idiom for being supported by funds received from others is "living on remittances" or "living on money from his sons." The preposition 'in' here feels slightly unnatural compared to 'on'. However, let's keep analyzing other parts before concluding.
Part (b): "could not make both ends meet."
This part is the main predicate of the sentence. It uses the modal verb "could not" followed by the idiom "make both ends meet."
- "Make both ends meet" is a common idiom meaning to earn just enough money to live on, without getting into debt. The idiom itself is used correctly here.
- The structure "could not + base verb" is also grammatically correct for expressing past inability or conditional inability.
However, let's consider the context provided by part (a). If the widower is currently "living in/on remittances" (implying a present situation), then his inability to make ends meet is likely also a present situation. In such a case, the present tense modal verb "cannot" would be more appropriate than the past tense "could not." Using "could not" suggests that at some point in the past, he was unable to make ends meet, which might or might not align with his current situation described by part (a).
Given that option (b) is indicated as the correct answer, the error is expected to be within this part. The most probable error here is the use of the past tense 'could not' when the context (implied present state in part a) suggests a present inability, which should use 'cannot'.
The likely corrected version of part (b) would be "cannot make both ends meet."
Part (c): "No error."
This option indicates that there is no error in any of the parts (a), (b), or (c). Based on our analysis of part (b), it appears there is a potential error in the verb tense used.
Conclusion
Based on the analysis, there appears to be an error in part (b), specifically with the likely inappropriate use of the past tense modal verb 'could not' instead of the present tense 'cannot' to describe a current inability to make ends meet.
Therefore, the error is in part (b).
| Part | Text | Analysis | Error? |
|---|---|---|---|
| (a) | living in remittances from his sons, | Participial phrase. 'living on' is more standard usage than 'living in'. | Potential usage issue, but not the indicated error part. |
| (b) | could not make both ends meet. | Uses idiom 'make both ends meet'. 'could not' is past tense. 'cannot' would fit a present situation better if 'living in/on remittances' is current. | Likely error in tense ('could not' instead of 'cannot'). This is the indicated error part. |
| (c) | No error. | Indicates absence of error. | Incorrect, as an error is likely in (b). |
The error is found in part (b).
Revision Table: Key Grammar Concepts
| Concept | Explanation | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Participial Phrase | A phrase containing a participle (verb ending in -ing or -ed) that functions as an adjective, modifying a noun or pronoun. | The dog, wagging its tail, was happy. |
| Idiom | A group of words established by usage as having a meaning not deducible from those of the individual words. | Break a leg! (Means good luck) Make both ends meet. (Means manage financially) |
| Modal Verbs | Verbs like can, could, will, would, shall, should, may, might, must, expressing possibility, ability, permission, obligation, etc. They are followed by the base form of the main verb. | I can swim. You should study. He could not finish the race. |
| Tense of Modal Verbs | 'Can' is present, 'Could' is past. 'Will' is future, 'Would' is past/conditional. Choosing the correct tense depends on the time frame of the action or state being described. | Present: I can solve this problem now. Past: I could solve it yesterday, but not today. |
Additional Information: Verb Tense and Context
Understanding verb tense is crucial for clear communication. The tense of a verb or modal verb should align with the time frame of the action or state being described in the sentence. In this sentence, the participial phrase "living in remittances from his sons" most naturally describes a current or ongoing state of the widower.
If the state described in part (a) is current, then the consequence or associated condition described in part (b) is also likely current. Therefore, the inability to make ends meet is probably happening currently, making 'cannot' (present inability) the more suitable choice than 'could not' (past inability).
Errors in verb tense are common in English grammar questions. Always consider the time context established by other parts of the sentence or implied by the situation.
The final answer is \(\boxed{B}\).
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