The following sentence has been split into four segments. Identify the segment that contains a grammatical error. There is many ways / to make / a stranger feel / welcome in the community.
There is many ways
Identifying Grammatical Errors in Sentences
The question asks us to find the part of the sentence that contains a grammatical error. The sentence is divided into four parts:
- There is many ways
- to make
- a stranger feel
- welcome in the community.
Analyzing the Sentence Segments for Errors
Let's examine each segment to identify any potential grammatical issues.
Segment 1: "There is many ways"
This segment uses the structure "There is..." followed by "many ways". In sentences beginning with "There is" or "There are", the verb (is or are) must agree with the noun that follows it. The noun phrase here is "many ways", which is plural.
The rule for subject-verb agreement in such sentences is:
- Use 'There is' when the following noun is singular or non-countable.
- Use 'There are' when the following noun is plural.
Since "many ways" is plural, the correct verb should be "are". Therefore, "There is many ways" should be "There are many ways". This segment contains a grammatical error related to subject-verb agreement.
Segment 2: "to make"
This is part of an infinitive phrase ("to make a stranger feel welcome..."). The structure "to + base verb" is correct here as part of this phrase.
Segment 3: "a stranger feel"
This is part of the phrase "make a stranger feel". The verb "make" is a causative verb. When "make" is used in this way, the structure is typically "make + object + base form of verb". For example, "She made him laugh." or "He made the engine run." In this case, "a stranger" is the object, and "feel" is the base form of the verb. This segment is grammatically correct in this context.
Segment 4: "welcome in the community."
This segment completes the sentence, indicating where the stranger is made to feel welcome. The phrase "welcome in the community" is grammatically sound in this context, describing the state or location related to feeling welcome.
Based on the analysis, the grammatical error is found in the first segment, "There is many ways".
Correcting the Sentence
The grammatically correct sentence would be:
There are many ways to make a stranger feel welcome in the community.
Revision Table: Subject-Verb Agreement with "There"
| Structure | Usage | Example |
|---|---|---|
| There is + Singular Noun | Used with singular countable nouns or non-countable nouns. | There is a book on the table. There is water in the glass. |
| There are + Plural Noun | Used with plural countable nouns. | There are many books on the table. There are three students in the room. |
Additional Information: Understanding Subject-Verb Agreement
Subject-verb agreement is a fundamental concept in English grammar. It means that the verb in a sentence must agree in number (singular or plural) with its subject. If the subject is singular, the verb must be singular. If the subject is plural, the verb must be plural.
- Simple examples:
- He walks (singular subject 'He', singular verb 'walks').
- They walk (plural subject 'They', plural verb 'walk').
- Sentences starting with "There": In sentences beginning with "There", the true subject comes after the verb. The verb must agree with this post-verb subject.
- There is a cat (singular subject 'a cat', singular verb 'is').
- There are cats (plural subject 'cats', plural verb 'are').
Paying close attention to the subject, especially in sentences with introductory phrases like "There is" or "There are", is crucial for avoiding grammatical errors.
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)
