Difficulty: Easy
Correct Answer: D
Explanation:
Introduction / Context:
This is an error spotting question, a common type in competitive English exams. The sentence is divided into four labelled parts, and the candidate has to decide which part, if any, contains a grammatical or usage error. Such questions test a range of topics, including subject verb agreement, articles, prepositions, tenses, and word order. Here the sentence describes a friend job responsibilities in a very ordinary context.
Given Data / Assumptions:
The full sentence is presented in four parts as follows: My friend's actual job (A) / involves a lot (B) / of administration. (C) / No Error (D). The test asks which segment contains an error, or whether the sentence is completely correct. We assume standard modern English and that mild stylistic variations are acceptable if grammar and usage are correct.
Concept / Approach:
To solve such questions, one should read the entire sentence naturally first, then check each grammatical area. My friend's actual job correctly uses a possessive form and a natural collocation. The verb involves agrees in number with the singular subject job. The phrase a lot of administration is a common way of referring to office or organisational work that deals with paperwork and coordination. There is no tense mistake, no article error, and no preposition problem in the sentence. Therefore, no part contains an error.
Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Check the subject and verb relationship. The subject is job, which is singular, and the verb involves is in the correct singular form.
Step 2: Examine the possessive phrase My friend's actual job, which correctly uses the apostrophe s to show possession.
Step 3: Look at the phrase a lot of administration and confirm that it is grammatically acceptable and idiomatic for office type work.
Step 4: Scan the entire sentence for missing articles, wrong prepositions, or awkward word order and find none.
Step 5: Conclude that the sentence is grammatically correct in all its parts and so the correct choice is the No Error option.
Verification / Alternative check:
To further confirm, we can paraphrase the sentence as My friend's real job involves a lot of administrative work, which is clearly correct and natural English. We can also check that replacing administration with administrative work does not change the structure, showing that the phrase a lot of administration works in the same way. No alternative structure such as My friend actual job or involves many administration would improve the sentence, so we can be confident that the original version is right.
Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Option A is correct because the possessive form friend's is properly used to show that the job belongs to the friend.
Option B is correct because the verb involves is in the right form and collocates well with job.
Option C is correct because a lot of administration is a standard phrase meaning a large amount of administrative work.
Therefore, none of the first three options contain errors, which is why Option D, the No Error choice, is the right answer.
Common Pitfalls:
Sometimes candidates feel that a sentence must contain an error because the question type suggests so, and they force themselves to find something wrong. This leads to overthinking and incorrect changes. It is important to remember that many exam sets include fully correct sentences in error spotting sections to check whether students can confidently recognise error free sentences. The key is to rely on grammar knowledge and natural usage, not on the assumption that there must always be a mistake.
Final Answer:
The sentence is grammatically correct, so the correct choice is D (No Error).
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