In the following sentence, one numbered part may contain a grammatical error, or the sentence may be fully correct. Choose the number of the part that has an error, or choose option (4) for No Error. Sentence: She was so much overwhelmed with her (1) / sons devotion and affection that she (2) / did distributed all her wealth and property among them. (3)

Introduction / Context:
This question examines correct use of auxiliary verbs with main verbs in the past tense. The sentence describes a woman whose affection for her sons led her to give away her wealth. The error lies in the unnecessary combination of the auxiliary did and the past tense distributed, which is a classic exam pattern in English grammar questions.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• The sentence is divided into three numbered parts and a No Error option.
• Part (1) reads She was so much overwhelmed with her.
• Part (2) continues with sons devotion and affection that she.
• Part (3) ends with did distributed all her wealth and property among them.

Concept / Approach:
The key concept is the correct use of the auxiliary do in past tense statements. In affirmative past tense sentences, we normally use a simple past form without the auxiliary did. The auxiliary did is used only in questions and in negative sentences, or occasionally for emphasis with the base form of the verb, such as she did distribute. Therefore, did distributed is incorrect because it combines an auxiliary with a past tense main verb. The correct forms are either she distributed all her wealth or she did distribute all her wealth, where distribute is in the base form.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Read part (1): She was so much overwhelmed with her. While the phrase so much overwhelmed could be improved to so overwhelmed, it is not the main grammatical error under test.Step 2: Read part (2): sons devotion and affection that she. This sets up the result clause and is structurally correct when continued by a past tense verb.Step 3: Read part (3): did distributed all her wealth and property among them. Here did is followed by distributed, which is a past tense form.Step 4: Recall the rule that after the auxiliary did, the main verb must appear in its base form, not in the past tense.Step 5: Recognise that the sentence is an affirmative past statement, so a simple past form without did is more natural: she distributed all her wealth and property among them.Step 6: Conclude that part (3) contains a clear auxiliary plus main verb error and should be corrected.

Verification / Alternative check:
To verify, remove did and read the sentence again: She was so overwhelmed with her sons devotion and affection that she distributed all her wealth and property among them. This version is grammatically correct and expresses the intended meaning. Alternatively, if we wanted to emphasise the action, we could say she did distribute all her wealth and property among them, but in that case the main verb must be distribute, not distributed. Both alternatives highlight that did distributed was the wrong combination in the original sentence.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Option 1: Part (1) is not perfect stylistically, but it does not break a clear grammatical rule in the way part (3) does.Option 2: Part (2) correctly sets up the that clause leading into the past action she distributed and does not contain an error.Option 4: Since there is a definite auxiliary verb mistake in part (3), the sentence is not error free, so No Error is not the correct answer.

Common Pitfalls:
Candidates sometimes overlook auxiliary verb errors because they focus on vocabulary or on the emotionally strong parts of the sentence. Another pitfall is believing that adding did always makes a past tense sentence stronger or more correct. In reality, did must be combined with the base form of the verb and is normally reserved for questions, negatives, and special emphasis. It is safer in most simple narrative sentences to use the plain past form without did.

Final Answer:
The incorrect verb combination appears in the third part, so the correct option is 3.