Introduction / Context:
This question tests knowledge of phrasal verbs. In English, specific verbs combine with prepositions or adverbs to form fixed meanings, and using the wrong particle makes the sentence incorrect or unnatural. The phrase “get over” is commonly used to mean “recover from” a shock, illness, or bereavement. The sentence provided uses “get off”, which gives a different meaning and is wrong in this emotional context.
Given Data / Assumptions:
- Complete sentence: “It took her a long time to get off the death of her husband.”
- Part (A): “It took her a long time”
- Part (B): “to get off”
- Part (C): “the death of her husband.”
- Part (D): “No Error”
- Standard idiom: “to get over something” = to recover emotionally.
Concept / Approach:
We must identify whether any segment uses an incorrect phrasal verb. “Get off” usually means to dismount, to avoid punishment, or to leave a bus or train. It does not mean to recover from grief. The correct expression here is “to get over the death of her husband”. Therefore, the error lies in part (B), which must be changed from “get off” to “get over”.
Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Read the full sentence for meaning: it describes someone taking a long time to recover from the loss of her husband.
Step 2: Recall the correct phrasal verb: we say “get over a shock”, “get over an illness”, “get over the death of a loved one”.
Step 3: Notice that the sentence uses “get off”, which usually means to descend from a bus or to escape punishment, which does not fit the context of grief.
Step 4: Therefore, part (B) is incorrect. The correct version is “to get over the death of her husband”.
Step 5: Parts (A) and (C) are grammatically fine and support the intended meaning; “No Error” cannot be chosen.
Verification / Alternative check:
Corrected sentence: “It took her a long time to get over the death of her husband.” This is idiomatic and natural.
Try substituting other meanings of “get off”: “to get off the death” does not form a meaningful or accepted phrase.
Thus, the only error is the wrong preposition in the phrasal verb.
Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Option A: “It took her a long time” is correct in tense and structure.
Option C: “the death of her husband” is a proper noun phrase and is grammatically correct.
Option D: “No Error” is wrong because an error clearly exists in part (B).
Common Pitfalls:
Learners often confuse phrasal verbs like “get off”, “get out”, “get over” and treat them as interchangeable, which they are not.
Some may focus only on the main verb “get” and ignore the importance of the particle “off” versus “over”.
Relying on literal translation from the mother tongue without memorising standard English collocations is another frequent cause of mistakes.
Final Answer:
The error is in part B. The sentence should be “It took her a long time to get over the death of her husband.”
Discussion & Comments