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 party (a) was ousted in power(b) after twelve years . (c) No error. (d)
B
Identifying Grammatical Errors in Sentences
The question asks us to identify if there is any error in the given sentence, which is divided into three parts: The party (a) was ousted in power (b) after twelve years (c) . If there is no error, the answer is (d).
Let's examine each underlined part of the sentence to check for grammatical correctness and appropriate usage.
- (a) The party: This part serves as the subject of the sentence. "The party" is a singular noun phrase acting as the subject, followed by a singular verb "was ousted". This part is grammatically correct.
- (b) was ousted in power: The verb "ousted" means to drive out or expel someone from a position or place. When referring to being removed from a position of authority or government, the standard phrase is typically "ousted from power" or "ousted from office". The preposition "in" is not the correct preposition to use with "ousted" in this context. "In power" describes the state of holding power, but the action of being removed requires the preposition "from" to indicate the source or state from which they were removed. Therefore, this part contains a grammatical error due to the incorrect preposition "in".
- (c) after twelve years: This phrase indicates the duration after which the event occurred. "After twelve years" is a correct and appropriate time phrase modifying the action of being ousted. This part is grammatically correct.
Based on the analysis, the error is found in part (b) of the sentence: "was ousted in power". The correct phrasing should be "was ousted from power".
The question asks us to indicate the response corresponding to the letter of the underlined part with the error. Part (b) has the error.
Therefore, the correct option is B.
Revision Table: Correct Prepositions with 'Ousted'
| Incorrect Usage | Correct Usage | Explanation |
|---|---|---|
| ousted in power | ousted from power | Use 'from' to indicate removal from a position or state of having power. |
| ousted in office | ousted from office | Use 'from' when referring to removal from an official position. |
| ousted in the country | ousted from the country | Use 'from' when referring to removal or expulsion from a place (like a country). |
Additional Information on Sentence Correction and Prepositions
Identifying incorrect preposition usage is a common task in English grammar questions. Prepositions like 'in', 'on', 'at', 'from', 'to', 'with', 'by', etc., are used to show the relationship between a noun or pronoun and other words in a sentence. Using the wrong preposition can change the meaning or make the sentence grammatically incorrect.
Some verbs or phrases commonly use specific prepositions. These are often referred to as fixed prepositions or prepositional phrases. Learning these common combinations can help improve accuracy in sentence correction tasks.
For example:
- Depend on
- Believe in
- Fond of
- Responsible for
- Deal with
- Aware of
In the case of "ousted", when it refers to removal from a position of power or authority, the preposition "from" is standard. "Ousted from power" implies being removed from the state of holding political or administrative power.
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)
