In the following sentence, identify the part that contains an error in standard English usage. The CEO only discussed (1) / the new venture (2) / with his manager. (3) / No Error (4).

Introduction / Context:
This question tests your ability to spot errors in the placement of adverbs in an English sentence. In competitive exams, you are often asked to identify which part of a sentence contains a grammatical or usage error. Here, the sentence deals with the adverb “only”, and the test checks whether you know where “only” should be placed to clearly show the intended meaning. Correct adverb placement is crucial because shifting “only” changes which word or phrase is being limited or emphasised.

Given Data / Assumptions:

The sentence is: “The CEO only discussed / the new venture / with his manager.”
The numbering indicates three parts: (1), (2) and (3), plus a “No Error” option.
The likely intended meaning is that the CEO discussed the new venture with nobody except his manager.
We assume standard formal English usage is required for exam purposes.

Concept / Approach:
In English, the word “only” should be placed as close as possible to the word or phrase it modifies. If the intended meaning is “the CEO discussed the new venture only with his manager” (meaning he did not discuss it with anyone else), “only” must come before “with his manager”, not before the verb “discussed”. When “only” is placed before the verb, the sentence can be misread as limiting the action, as if the CEO did nothing except discuss, which is not the intended idea here.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Understand the intended meaning: the CEO discussed the new venture with his manager and with no one else. Step 2: Check the original wording: “The CEO only discussed the new venture with his manager.” Step 3: Notice that “only” is placed before “discussed”, so technically it modifies the verb “discussed”. Step 4: A clearer and grammatically better sentence is: “The CEO discussed the new venture only with his manager.” Step 5: In this corrected version, “only” correctly limits the phrase “with his manager”. Step 6: The error therefore lies in Part (1), where “only” is incorrectly positioned before the verb.

Verification / Alternative check:
Consider alternative interpretations. With the original placement, the sentence could suggest that discussing was the only action the CEO took, which is not what exam questions of this type usually intend. By moving “only” to modify the prepositional phrase “with his manager”, we make the sentence unambiguous. Comparing both forms confirms that the standard corrected version places the limiting adverb “only” directly before the phrase it restricts, so identifying Part (1) as erroneous is justified.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Part (2) “the new venture” is grammatically correct as the object of the verb “discussed”.
Part (3) “with his manager” is also correct as a prepositional phrase showing who he discussed it with.
“No Error” cannot be correct because we have clearly seen that the placement of “only” in Part (1) leads to ambiguity and is not the best standard usage in formal English.

Common Pitfalls:
Many learners see sentences like this in everyday speech and assume they are automatically correct, because native speakers often use casual structures. However, in formal exam English, precision is important. A common mistake is to ignore the subtle effect of moving “only” around in a sentence. Always ask yourself “What exactly is ‘only’ limiting here?” and then check whether it is placed directly before that word or phrase. Mastering such details can help you score well in error-spotting sections of English language papers.

Final Answer:
Correct answer: 1.