In the following question, one part of the sentence may have an error. Find out which part of the sentence has an error and select the option corresponding to it. If the sentence is free from error, select "No error". Sentence: "The angry bird flap (A) / her wings, flies a short (B) / distance and returns. (C) / No error (D)".

Introduction / Context:
This question tests subject–verb agreement in the simple present tense. The sentence describes the habitual behaviour of a single bird: flapping its wings, flying a short distance and returning. For such habitual actions, English uses the simple present tense with correct agreement between singular subjects and verb forms. The problem is hidden in the first clause of the sentence.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• Sentence parts: (A) The angry bird flap / (B) her wings, flies a short / (C) distance and returns. / (D) No error.
• Subject: "The angry bird" (singular).
• Verbs: "flap", "flies", "returns".
• We need to check if each verb agrees with the singular subject.

Concept / Approach:
In the simple present tense, a singular third-person subject (he, she, it, or a singular noun like "the bird") must take a verb ending in -s or -es: "flaps", "flies", "returns". The given sentence correctly uses "flies" and "returns" for the singular subject, but the first verb is incorrectly given as "flap" without -s. Therefore, the error lies in part (A). The rest of the sentence correctly describes sequential actions.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Identify the subject: "The angry bird" is one bird, so it is a third-person singular noun. Step 2: Check the first verb in part (A): "flap". For a singular subject, we expect "flaps". Step 3: Check the verbs in parts (B) and (C): "flies" and "returns". Both correctly end in -s and agree with the singular subject. Step 4: Recognise that "flap" should be "flaps" to maintain consistency: "The angry bird flaps her wings, flies a short distance and returns." Step 5: Since the only mismatch occurs in part (A), that is the portion containing the error.

Verification / Alternative check:
Reconstruct the entire sentence in correct form: "The angry bird flaps her wings, flies a short distance and returns." This sounds natural and follows standard English patterns for habitual present actions. If you compare this with similar examples like "The dog barks, runs in circles and then sleeps," you will see that all verbs take the -s form. Having only one verb without -s would sound incomplete and wrong to a native speaker, which confirms the error in part (A).

Why Other Options Are Wrong:

• B: "her wings, flies a short" – the verb "flies" correctly matches the singular subject; no error here.
• C: "distance and returns." – "returns" is again correctly in singular form.
• D (No error): Cannot be correct because we have already identified an error in part (A).

Common Pitfalls:
Students sometimes overlook the first verb because they are distracted by the more distant verbs "flies" and "returns", which are already correct. Another pitfall is thinking that when multiple verbs share a subject, only the nearest verb needs to agree, but in reality, every verb that directly refers to the subject must agree. Always check each verb in the sequence carefully when answering such questions.

Final Answer:
The error is in part (A); it should read "The angry bird flaps her wings, flies a short distance and returns."