In this English error spotting question, identify which part of the sentence contains the error in: "Due to his negligence, (A) he failed (B) in the examination. (C) No Error (D)".

Introduction / Context:
This question tests your understanding of standard prepositional usage and formal grammar in English, especially the phrase "due to". The sentence is divided into segments: "Due to his negligence, (A) he failed (B) in the examination. (C) No Error (D)". Traditional exam grammar expects you to differentiate between correct use of "due to" and "because of" at the beginning of a sentence.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• Full sentence as given: "Due to his negligence, he failed in the examination."
• Part (A): "Due to his negligence,"
• Part (B): "he failed"
• Part (C): "in the examination."
• Part (D): "No Error"
• We are working with the traditional exam rule that "due to" should modify a noun, while "because of" is used to modify a verb or clause.

Concept / Approach:
In strict formal grammar, "due to" functions like an adjective and is used after forms of the verb "to be" to modify a noun, for example, "His failure was due to negligence." On the other hand, "because of" functions as an adverbial phrase and can modify a verb or an entire clause, as in "He failed because of his negligence." In competitive exams, starting a sentence with "Due to his negligence, he failed..." is usually treated as incorrect for this reason. The preferred formal version is "Because of his negligence, he failed in the examination."

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Read the full sentence and locate the cause effect structure: negligence (cause) leading to failure (effect).Step 2: Recognise that the phrase "Due to his negligence" is being used at the start to modify the verb "failed".Step 3: Apply the exam rule: "due to" should normally follow a form of "be" and modify a noun, whereas "because of" is more suitable before a clause.Step 4: Rewrite the sentence in the more acceptable standard form: "Because of his negligence, he failed in the examination."Step 5: Conclude that the error lies in part (A), which needs to be corrected from "Due to" to "Because of".

Verification / Alternative check:
If we rewrite the sentence as "His failure in the examination was due to his negligence", "due to" now correctly follows "was" and modifies the noun "failure". In that version, the usage is completely acceptable. However, the structure in the exam sentence is different and does not follow this pattern. Parts (B) and (C) are straightforward: "he failed in the examination" is grammatically correct and idiomatic.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:

• Option B (part B "he failed") correctly uses the past simple tense to describe the result.
• Option C (part C "in the examination") correctly employs the preposition "in" to refer to performance in an exam.
• Option D (No Error) is wrong because there is indeed a correctness issue in part (A) according to formal exam standards.

Common Pitfalls:
In modern informal English, many speakers use "due to" and "because of" interchangeably, and the sentence may sound acceptable in casual conversation. However, competitive examinations generally follow stricter, traditional rules to test precision. Candidates who rely only on what "sounds right" may be misled and miss the subtle distinction. Therefore, it is important to remember the exam friendly guideline: use "because of" to modify a verb or whole clause, and "due to" after a linking verb to modify a noun.

Final Answer:
The grammatical error is in part A, where "Due to his negligence" should be replaced with "Because of his negligence" in formal exam English.