The following sentence has been split into four segments. Identify the segment that contains a grammatical error. She will be / write her / examination by this / time tomorrow.
write her
Identifying Grammatical Errors in Future Tenses
Let's break down the given sentence to find the grammatical error. The sentence is:
She will be / write her / examination by this / time tomorrow.
The sentence is split into four segments:
- She will be
- write her
- examination by this
- time tomorrow
The phrase "by this time tomorrow" is a strong indicator of a future perfect tense or sometimes a future perfect continuous tense. However, let's look at the structure used:
She will be write her examination by this time tomorrow.
The structure "will be" is typically followed by:
- The present participle (verb ending in $-ing$) to form the future continuous tense (e.g., She will be writing).
- The past participle (verb in the third form) to form the passive voice in the future simple tense (e.g., The letter will be written).
In the given sentence, "write" is the base form of the verb. Following "will be" with the base form "write" is grammatically incorrect.
Analyzing the Segments
- Segment 1: She will be - This part introduces the auxiliary verbs for a future construction, but it needs the correct verb form to follow it.
- Segment 2: write her - This segment contains the main verb "write". For the sentence to be grammatically correct with "will be", the verb should be in the $-ing$ form, i.e., "writing". For example, "She will be writing her examination...". The form "write" is incorrect here.
- Segment 3: examination by this - This part specifies the object of the action ("examination") and starts the time phrase. It is grammatically sound in itself.
- Segment 4: time tomorrow - This completes the time phrase "by this time tomorrow", which indicates a point in the future by which an action will be completed (future perfect) or ongoing up to that point (future perfect continuous). While the time phrase suggests future perfect is likely more appropriate for completion ("She will have written..."), the current structure uses "will be", making the error in the subsequent verb form.
Identifying the Grammatical Error Segment
The error lies in the segment where the incorrect form of the verb is used after "will be". The segment "write her" contains the verb "write" in the base form, which is not correct following "will be" in an active voice construction requiring a continuous tense.
To make the sentence grammatically correct, one possible correction using a continuous form would be: "She will be writing her examination by this time tomorrow." (Future Continuous, though Future Perfect is more standard with "by this time tomorrow").
Another, more common, correction fitting "by this time tomorrow" would be using the future perfect tense: "She will have written her examination by this time tomorrow." This shows completion by a future point.
Regardless of the intended correct tense, the use of "write" immediately after "will be" is the specific grammatical error present in the original sentence structure. Therefore, the segment "write her" is where the error occurs.
Conclusion
The segment containing the grammatical error is "write her", because the verb "write" is in the base form instead of the required $-ing$ form (writing) or the entire structure needs to be changed for a different future tense appropriate with "by this time tomorrow".
Revision Table: Future Tenses Overview
| Tense | Structure | Use with 'by this time tomorrow' | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| Future Simple | will + base verb | Not typically used with 'by this time tomorrow' for completion. | She will write the letter. |
| Future Continuous | will be + verb + $-ing$ | To describe an action ongoing at a specific time in the future. Less common for completion by a future point. | She will be writing at 3 PM tomorrow. |
| Future Perfect | will have + past participle | To describe an action that will be completed by a specific time in the future. Commonly used with 'by this time tomorrow'. | She will have written the letter by tomorrow. |
| Future Perfect Continuous | will have been + verb + $-ing$ | To describe an action that will have been ongoing up to a specific time in the future. | She will have been writing for two hours by 3 PM tomorrow. |
Additional Information on Verb Forms After Auxiliaries
Auxiliary verbs play a crucial role in forming different tenses and moods in English. It's important to know which form of the main verb follows which auxiliary.
- After 'will' or 'shall': Base form of the verb (e.g., will go, shall see).
- After 'be' (is, am, are, was, were, will be):
- Present participle (verb + $-ing$) for continuous tenses (e.g., is going, will be seeing).
- Past participle for passive voice (e.g., is written, will be seen).
- After 'have' (has, have, had, will have): Past participle (e.g., has gone, will have seen).
- After modal verbs (can, could, may, might, must, should, would): Base form of the verb (e.g., can go, should see).
In the given sentence, "will be" is followed by "write". According to the rules, "will be" should be followed by an $-ing$ form or a past participle, not the base form "write". This confirms the error in the verb form within that segment.
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)
