In the following question, a sentence is divided into numbered parts. Identify the part that contains a grammatical error in subject verb agreement. Sentence: “Just as we nourishes the body, we need to nurture the soul to connect to the creative power of the universe and to manifest joy in our lives.”

Difficulty: Medium

Correct Answer: Part (1)

Explanation:


Introduction / Context:
This question examines subject verb agreement in a sentence about nourishing the body and nurturing the soul. The sentence is split into three parts, and the task is to identify which part contains the error. The focus is on the phrase “we nourishes,” which looks suspicious when matched with the plural subject “we.”


Given Data / Assumptions:

  • The full sentence is: “Just as we nourishes the body, we need to nurture the soul to connect to the creative power of the universe and to manifest joy in our lives.”
  • Part (1) typically includes “Just as we nourishes the body.”
  • Part (2) contains “we need to nurture the soul to connect to the creative power of the universe.”
  • Part (3) contains “and to manifest joy in our lives.”
  • The subject “we” is plural and takes a base form verb without “s” in the simple present tense.


Concept / Approach:
The main concept is that in English, the pronoun “we” takes the base form of the verb in the simple present tense. For example, “we eat,” “we learn,” and “we nourish” are correct. On the other hand, “we nourishes” is incorrect because the “s” marked form is used only with singular third person subjects such as “he,” “she,” or “it.” Recognising this rule allows us to pinpoint which part of the sentence is wrong.


Step-by-Step Solution:

Step 1: Focus on part (1), “Just as we nourishes the body.” Step 2: Identify the subject “we,” which is plural and first person. Step 3: The verb should be “nourish,” not “nourishes,” because plural “we” takes the base form. Step 4: Check parts (2) and (3) for additional issues. The phrases “we need to nurture the soul” and “to manifest joy in our lives” are grammatically sound. Step 5: Conclude that only part (1) contains an error, due to incorrect verb form.


Verification / Alternative check:
A corrected version of the sentence would read: “Just as we nourish the body, we need to nurture the soul to connect to the creative power of the universe and to manifest joy in our lives.” This version follows all subject verb agreement rules and delivers a clear meaning. Since this correction only affects part (1), our choice is validated.


Why Other Options Are Wrong:

  • Part (2): The phrase “we need to nurture the soul to connect to the creative power of the universe” uses correct infinitive construction and no agreement error.
  • Part (3): The phrase “and to manifest joy in our lives” is parallel to “to connect” and is grammatically correct.
  • “No error”: This cannot be right because “we nourishes” is clearly ungrammatical in standard English.


Common Pitfalls:
Students may overlook the small “s” at the end of “nourishes” because the rest of the sentence is stylistically smooth. Another common difficulty is focusing on the spiritual vocabulary and losing sight of grammar rules. To avoid such errors, it is important to isolate the subject and verb and test the combination against basic subject verb agreement rules.


Final Answer:
Part (1) is the correct answer, since “we nourishes” should be replaced with “we nourish” to obey standard subject verb agreement.

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