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Question

The following sentence has been divided into parts. One of them contains an error. Select the part that contains the error from the given options.

Several prominent film stars / have appeared on television / on behalf of awareness / about hand hygiene.  

This question was previously asked in
SSC CGL 2020 Tier-II (English) Previous Year Paper (29-Jan-2022)
The correct answer is

on behalf of awareness

Understanding the Sentence Error in English Grammar

The question asks us to identify the part of the sentence that contains a grammatical error. Let's look at the sentence provided:

"Several prominent film stars / have appeared on television / on behalf of awareness / about hand hygiene."

The sentence is divided into four parts. We need to examine each part to find the error.

Analyzing Each Part of the Sentence

Let's break down each part:

  1. Several prominent film stars: This is the subject of the sentence. "Several" indicates a plural count, and "film stars" is the plural noun. "prominent" is an adjective describing the stars. This part is grammatically correct.
  2. have appeared on television: This is the verb phrase and a prepositional phrase indicating where they appeared. "have appeared" is in the present perfect tense, which is correctly used with a plural subject ("stars"). "on television" is a standard phrase. This part is grammatically correct.
  3. on behalf of awareness: This is a prepositional phrase. The phrase "on behalf of" typically means representing someone or something, or in the name of someone. For example, "He spoke on behalf of the committee." or "I accepted the award on behalf of my team." In this sentence, the stars appeared not as representatives of "awareness" itself, but rather to promote or create awareness. This usage of "on behalf of awareness" is incorrect.
  4. about hand hygiene: This is another prepositional phrase that clarifies what the awareness is related to. "awareness about hand hygiene" is a grammatically correct construction.

Identifying the Grammatical Error

Based on the analysis, the error lies in the phrase "on behalf of awareness". The stars appeared with the purpose of creating or raising awareness about hand hygiene, not representing awareness itself.

Correct ways to phrase this part of the sentence would be:

  • ...have appeared on television to create awareness about hand hygiene.
  • ...have appeared on television to raise awareness about hand hygiene.
  • ...have appeared on television for awareness about hand hygiene.
  • ...have appeared on television for the purpose of creating awareness about hand hygiene.

The phrase "on behalf of" is misused in the context of creating awareness. Therefore, the part "on behalf of awareness" contains the error.

Sentence Error Part Identification

Comparing our analysis with the given options:

  • have appeared on television

    - Correct.
  • about hand hygiene

    - Correct.
  • on behalf of awareness

    - Contains the error.
  • Several prominent film stars

    - Correct.

The part containing the error is "on behalf of awareness".

Revision Table: Sentence Error Analysis

Part of Sentence Analysis Correctness
Several prominent film stars Subject: Plural, correctly formed. Correct
have appeared on television Verb phrase (Present Perfect) + Prepositional phrase. Correct agreement and standard phrase. Correct
on behalf of awareness Prepositional phrase. Incorrect usage of "on behalf of". Error
about hand hygiene Prepositional phrase modifying awareness. Correct. Correct

Additional Information on English Phrases

Let's look more closely at some related concepts:

Using "On Behalf Of"

The phrase "on behalf of" means:

  • As a representative of: "She collected the prize on behalf of her absent colleague."
  • In the interests of or for the benefit of: "He made a heartfelt plea on behalf of the prisoners."

It is generally used when acting for or representing people, groups, or institutions, not abstract concepts like "awareness" in the context of creating it.

Expressing Purpose

To express the purpose of an action, we commonly use:

  • To + base verb: "They met to discuss the project." (infinitive of purpose)
  • For + noun/gerund: "They met for a discussion." or "They used the hall for rehearsing."
  • In order to / So as to + base verb: "She studied hard in order to pass the exam."
  • For the purpose of + gerund: "Funds were raised for the purpose of building a new library."

In the given sentence, the purpose of the stars' appearance was to create or raise awareness, which fits the pattern of expressing purpose.

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