The following sentence has been split into four segments. Identify the segment that contains a grammatical error. Going to the weekly market / in every Tuesday / is a ritual that has been followed / by generations in my family.
in every Tuesday
To identify the segment with a grammatical error, let's carefully examine each part of the sentence: "Going to the weekly market / in every Tuesday / is a ritual that has been followed / by generations in my family."
Analyzing Sentence Segments for Grammatical Errors
We will look at each segment individually to check for any issues with grammar, punctuation, or word choice, focusing on the correct usage in English sentences.
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Segment 1: "Going to the weekly market"
This segment is a gerund phrase ("Going to the weekly market") acting as the subject of the sentence. This is a grammatically correct construction for a subject.
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Segment 2: "in every Tuesday"
This segment contains a common error related to the use of prepositions and time expressions. When referring to specific days of the week, we typically use the preposition 'on' (e.g., 'on Tuesday', 'on Sundays'). When using 'every' followed by a day, no preposition is needed (e.g., 'every Tuesday', 'every Monday'). The phrase "in every Tuesday" is ungrammatical.
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Segment 3: "is a ritual that has been followed"
This segment acts as the predicate of the sentence. The verb 'is' correctly agrees with the singular subject (the gerund phrase "Going to the weekly market"). The clause "that has been followed" is a relative clause modifying 'ritual', and the verb 'has been followed' is in the present perfect passive tense, which is appropriate for describing an action that started in the past and continues or has results in the present, having been done by someone (in this case, generations).
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Segment 4: "by generations in my family"
This segment provides additional information about who has followed the ritual and where. "by generations" is a passive agent phrase, and "in my family" is a prepositional phrase. Both are used correctly in this context.
Identifying the Grammatical Error
Based on the analysis, the grammatical error is found in Segment 2, "in every Tuesday". The correct ways to express this time would be:
- "every Tuesday" (most common and concise)
- "on Tuesdays" (referring to a recurring event on that day)
The use of 'in' before 'every Tuesday' is incorrect.
Conclusion
The segment containing the grammatical error is "in every Tuesday". This phrase should be corrected to "every Tuesday" or "on Tuesdays".
Revision Table: Prepositions with Days
| Time Expression | Correct Preposition | Example Usage |
|---|---|---|
| Specific Day (e.g., Tuesday, Monday) | on | on Tuesday, on Monday morning |
| Recurring Days (Plural) | on | on Tuesdays, on Sundays |
| Every + Day (e.g., every Tuesday) | None | every Tuesday, every Saturday afternoon |
| Day Names without specifics (rare in this context) | None | Tuesday is my busiest day. |
Additional Information on Prepositions of Time
Prepositions of time like 'in', 'on', and 'at' are used differently depending on the time reference:
- In: Used for longer periods like months, years, seasons, centuries (e.g., in July, in 2023, in winter, in the 19th century). Also used for parts of the day (in the morning, in the afternoon, in the evening - but at night).
- On: Used for specific days and dates (e.g., on Tuesday, on 15th August, on my birthday). Also used for specific parts of a specific day (e.g., on Tuesday morning, on Sunday afternoon).
- At: Used for specific times (e.g., at 3 o'clock, at midnight, at noon) and holidays without "Day" (e.g., at Christmas, at Easter). Also used in fixed expressions like 'at the weekend' (UK English), 'at night', 'at the moment'.
Understanding these common uses helps in identifying and correcting errors related to prepositions of time in sentences.
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)
