Difficulty: Medium
Correct Answer: B
Explanation:
Introduction / Context:
This is an error spotting question that tests your understanding of correlative conjunctions, particularly "not only ... but also". The sentence given is: "Priya got good grades(A) / not in Hindi essay(B) / but also in arithmetic.(C) / No error(D)". You must find which part contains the grammatical or structural error.
Given Data / Assumptions:
Concept / Approach:
In standard English, the correlative pair used to link two parallel parts of a sentence is "not only ... but also". The word "only" is missing from the phrase in part B. The correct construction should be "not only in Hindi essay but also in arithmetic". Without "only", the correlative pair is broken, and the sentence becomes stylistically and grammatically incomplete for exam standards.
Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Identify the structure being attempted: "not ... but also". In exams, the full form should be "not only ... but also".Step 2: Examine part A: "Priya got good grades" is a correct independent clause.Step 3: Examine part B: "not in Hindi essay" is missing the word "only"; it should be "not only in Hindi essay".Step 4: Examine part C: "but also in arithmetic" correctly completes the second half of the correlative pair.Step 5: Conclude that the error lies in part B, where the correlative conjunction is incomplete.
Verification / Alternative check:
Rewrite the whole sentence correctly: "Priya got good grades not only in Hindi essay but also in arithmetic." This version is grammatical and clearly balances the two subjects ("in Hindi essay" and "in arithmetic") using the correct correlative pair. The original sentence without "only" sounds incomplete and is not acceptable in the formal exam context.
Why Other Parts Are Correct:
Common Pitfalls:
Students sometimes overlook the "only" in "not only ... but also" and think that "not ... but also" is acceptable. While casual speech may drop "only" occasionally, exam standards require you to use the full and correct correlative pair. Another pitfall is focusing only on verb tenses or subject verb agreement and missing structural errors in conjunctions.
Final Answer:
The error is in part B, which should read "not only in Hindi essay".
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