In the following sentence, a part of the sentence may contain an error. Identify the part that has an error and select the correct option. If the sentence is free from error, select 'No Error'. Grandfather led (1) / a peaceful life after his (2) / retirement from the army. (3) / No Error (4)

Difficulty: Easy

Correct Answer: 4

Explanation:


Introduction / Context:
This grammar question asks the learner to determine whether the given sentence contains any grammatical or usage error. The sentence describes a grandfather who lived a peaceful life after retiring from the army. The learner must check verb forms, articles, prepositions, and word order in each part of the sentence and then decide whether any part is incorrect or whether the sentence is completely correct as written.


Given Data / Assumptions:

  • Part (1): "Grandfather led"
  • Part (2): "a peaceful life after his"
  • Part (3): "retirement from the army."
  • Part (4): "No Error"
  • The intended meaning is that after leaving service in the army, the grandfather lived a calm and peaceful life.


Concept / Approach:
The main grammatical points here include the correct past tense of the verb "lead", the use of the article "a", and the phrase "retirement from the army". The past tense of "lead" is spelled "led", which is correctly used. The phrase "a peaceful life" is standard. The expression "after his retirement from the army" is also idiomatic and grammatically correct. Therefore, none of the three numbered parts contain an error, and the correct answer is the "No Error" option.


Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Examine part (1) "Grandfather led". The subject "Grandfather" is singular, and "led" is the correct past tense of "lead". This part is correct. Step 2: Examine part (2) "a peaceful life after his". The article "a" fits correctly before the noun phrase "peaceful life". The phrase "after his" appropriately introduces the time reference linked to his retirement. Step 3: Examine part (3) "retirement from the army." The preposition "from" is correctly used after "retirement", and "the army" is correctly preceded by the definite article. Step 4: Since no error has been found in any of the three numbered parts, the only correct choice is "No Error" in part (4).


Verification / Alternative check:
An easy way to verify is to read the full sentence smoothly: "Grandfather led a peaceful life after his retirement from the army." The sentence is clear and natural in terms of tense, article use, and preposition choice. There is no awkwardness or grammatical fault when the sentence is read aloud. If one tries to change any part, the sentence either remains similar in meaning or becomes less idiomatic, which indicates that the original is already correct.


Why Other Options Are Wrong:

  • Part 1: "Grandfather led" is correct; the spelling "led" accurately represents the past tense of "lead".
  • Part 2: "a peaceful life after his" is properly constructed, with a suitable article and phrase order.
  • Part 3: "retirement from the army." uses an appropriate preposition and article.
  • Part 4: "No Error" correctly reflects that the entire sentence is grammatically sound.


Common Pitfalls:
Some learners might overthink and search for errors where none exist. Others may confuse the spelling of "led" with "lead" in the past tense or think that "retirement from the army" should be changed, even though it is a standard expression. A key exam skill is recognising when a sentence is actually correct and confidently choosing the "No Error" option without trying to force a correction.


Final Answer:
There is no error in the sentence, so the correct choice is 4 (No Error).

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