In the following sentence, choose the part that contains an error, if any: The new lecturer (A) seems to be very popular with (B) most of the class. (C) No error (D)

Difficulty: Easy

Correct Answer: D

Explanation:


Introduction / Context:
Some error spotting questions are designed to test whether learners can recognise a sentence that is already correct. This item presents a sentence about a lecturer being popular with students, and the candidate must determine whether any segment contains a grammatical or usage mistake.


Given Data / Assumptions:


    Sentence segments: (A) The new lecturer, (B) seems to be very popular with, (C) most of the class, (D) No error.

    The subject is "The new lecturer".

    The predicate describes popularity among the class.

    We need to examine subject verb agreement, prepositions, and article usage.


Concept / Approach:


    "The new lecturer" is a correct noun phrase referring to a single person.

    "Seems to be" correctly matches the singular subject and expresses a perception or impression.

    "Popular with" is a standard collocation in English for expressing popularity among a group of people.

    "Most of the class" correctly refers to the majority of students in that class.


Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Check part A: "The new lecturer". This is a grammatically correct noun phrase with the definite article and adjective followed by a singular noun. Step 2: Check part B: "seems to be very popular with". The verb "seems" agrees with the singular subject, and the phrase "very popular with" is idiomatic. Step 3: Check part C: "most of the class". This is a standard way to refer to the majority of students and is grammatically correct. Step 4: Since parts A, B, and C are all correct, no error exists in the sentence. Step 5: Therefore, the correct choice is D, indicating that there is no error.


Verification / Alternative check:
We can rephrase the sentence as "The new lecturer appears to be very popular with most of the class", which has the same structure. No element sounds awkward or incorrect in standard English. Thus, we confirm that the original sentence is grammatically acceptable.


Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Option a is wrong because there is no error in part A; "The new lecturer" correctly introduces the subject. Option b is wrong because part B uses correct verb agreement and the common phrase "popular with". Option c is wrong because part C uses "most of the class" correctly to describe the majority of students.


Common Pitfalls:
Some learners think every error spotting question must contain an error, so they search for unnecessary changes. Others may be unsure about the preposition, but "popular with" is the standard expression, not "popular among" only. Training oneself to accept correct sentences as error free is essential for performing well in this question type.


Final Answer:
The correct answer is: D (No error).

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