In the following sentence, identify the part that contains a grammatical or usage error, or select “No error”: “He says that (A) he has done engineering (B) besides an MBA. (C) No error (D)”

Difficulty: Medium

Correct Answer: B

Explanation:


Introduction:
This error spotting question examines your understanding of natural, idiomatic English phrases used to describe educational qualifications. The sentence attempts to say that the person is an engineering graduate as well as having an MBA. However, one part uses an unnatural expression that does not match standard English usage, and your task is to identify which segment contains this problem.


Given Data / Assumptions:

    - Part A: He says that - Part B: he has done engineering - Part C: besides an MBA. - Part D: No error - Intended meaning: he has studied engineering as well as completing an MBA.


Concept / Approach:
In natural English, we usually describe this background by saying He is an engineering graduate, He has a degree in engineering, or He has done his engineering. The phrase has done engineering without an article or possessive pronoun sounds incomplete and non idiomatic. Therefore, the error lies in Part B. Parts A and C are structurally sound for the intended meaning, and there is no major issue with the conjunction besides in this context.


Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Read the full sentence: He says that he has done engineering besides an MBA. Step 2: Focus on has done engineering and ask whether this is how education is usually described in English. Step 3: Recall more natural versions: has done his engineering, has a degree in engineering, or has studied engineering. Step 4: Recognise that the problem is in Part B, where the noun engineering is used without a determiner or complement. Step 5: Confirm that Part A, He says that, correctly introduces reported speech. Step 6: Check that Part C, besides an MBA, correctly indicates an additional qualification. Step 7: Therefore, Part B is where the error lies.


Verification / Alternative check:
Rewrite the sentence in a corrected form: He says that he has done his engineering besides an MBA, or He says that he is an engineering graduate besides having an MBA. Both corrected versions sound natural. Since the only change required is within Part B, this confirms that B is the part that contains the error. No structural changes are needed in Parts A and C to convey the intended meaning.


Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Part A is a straightforward reporting clause and is grammatically correct. Part C, besides an MBA, properly shows that the MBA is an additional qualification. Part D, No error, is wrong because we have clearly identified unnatural usage in Part B. Therefore, options A, C, and D cannot be chosen as the error location for this question.


Common Pitfalls:
Students sometimes overlook subtle collocation errors like has done engineering because they focus only on tense and subject verb agreement. A useful strategy is to ask yourself whether the phrase sounds like something you have read in newspapers or heard in formal speech. If it sounds translated from another language or unnatural, it may be the incorrect part. Building familiarity with common ways of describing qualifications will help you in similar questions.


Final Answer:
B is the part of the sentence that contains the error.

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