In the following sentence, select the part that contains an error: He had no (A) accuse for attacking (B) that old man. (C) No Error (D)

Introduction / Context:
This error spotting question tests vocabulary accuracy, specifically the distinction between the noun "excuse" and the verb "accuse". The sentence describes a person lacking justification for an attack on an old man, and the correct noun is required after "no".

Given Data / Assumptions:

Sentence: "He had no (A) accuse for attacking (B) that old man. (C) No Error (D)" with three marked parts.

"He had no" suggests that a noun should follow, indicating something he did not have.

The word "accuse" appears where a noun such as "excuse" should be.

Concept / Approach:

"Accuse" is a verb meaning to charge someone with an offence or wrongdoing.

"Excuse" is a noun meaning a reason or justification offered for an action.

After "no", we need a noun object, as in "no excuse", "no reason", "no justification".

Therefore, "accuse" is incorrect here and must be replaced with "excuse".

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Examine part A: "He had no". This phrase sets up the idea that the subject lacked something, which will be a noun. Step 2: Examine part B: "accuse for attacking". The word "accuse" is a verb, which does not fit grammatically after "no". Step 3: Recognise that the intended meaning is that he had no justification or excuse for his behaviour. Step 4: The correct word should be "excuse", which is a noun and fits the pattern "no excuse for attacking that old man". Step 5: Thus, the error lies in part B, which misuses "accuse" instead of "excuse".

Verification / Alternative check:
Consider similar correct sentences: "He had no excuse for shouting", "She had no excuse for being late". These examples show that "no excuse for" is a standard structure. Replacing "accuse" with "excuse" aligns the given sentence with these correct patterns.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Option a is wrong because "He had no" is grammatically fine by itself and only awaits a correct noun. Option c is wrong because "that old man" is a correct object phrase and does not contain any error. Option d is wrong because the sentence does contain an error, so we cannot select "No Error".

Common Pitfalls:
Learners may confuse words that sound similar, such as "accuse" and "excuse", especially in fast reading. Another pitfall is not checking the part of speech required by the structure of the sentence. To avoid such mistakes, students should pay attention to collocations like "no excuse for" and remember that "accuse" functions differently as a verb.

Final Answer:
The correct answer is: B.