In the following question, some part of the sentence may have an error. Find out which part has an error and select the appropriate option. If the sentence is free from error, select "No Error". The reason Priya was late (1) / to the meeting is because her (2) / flight was delayed. (3) / No Error (4)

Introduction / Context:
This error spotting question checks your understanding of correct sentence structure when using the word reason. The sentence explains why Priya was late to a meeting. However, a redundancy error appears in one of the parts. Such questions are common in competitive exams to test whether candidates can recognise unnecessary or incorrect word combinations in standard English.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• Part 1: “The reason Priya was late”
• Part 2: “to the meeting is because her”
• Part 3: “flight was delayed.”
• Part 4: “No Error”
• We must identify which part contains a grammatical or idiomatic error.

Concept / Approach:
In formal English, the word reason should be followed by that, not because. The expression the reason is because is considered incorrect and redundant. The correct structure is the reason is that or simply because used without reason. Therefore, when the sentence uses “The reason … is because”, it is repeating the fundamental idea and creating a standard usage error that exam setters love to test.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Look at Part 1: “The reason Priya was late” – this correctly introduces the cause we are about to explain.Look at Part 2: “to the meeting is because her” – the key problem appears here. The phrase “is because” after “the reason” is redundant and non-standard.Look at Part 3: “flight was delayed.” – this is grammatically correct and clearly states the cause.The fully corrected sentence should read: “The reason Priya was late to the meeting is that her flight was delayed.”Thus, the error lies in Part 2, where “is because” should be replaced by “is that”.

Verification / Alternative check:
Consider the two versions: “The reason Priya was late to the meeting is because her flight was delayed” versus “The reason Priya was late to the meeting is that her flight was delayed.” The second version sounds more formal and is the one preferred in standard written English. Alternatively, you could remove “reason” and say: “Priya was late to the meeting because her flight was delayed.” Both are correct; only the combination “reason is because” is disfavoured.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Part 1 correctly sets up the topic of the cause for Priya's lateness. Part 3 is grammatically sound and contains no errors of tense or agreement. Part 4 stands for No Error, which cannot be chosen because we have already identified a clear structural mistake in Part 2. Therefore, only Part 2 contains the required error.

Common Pitfalls:
Many speakers use “the reason is because” in everyday conversation, so it can sound normal. Examiners intentionally include such common spoken forms to see if candidates know the more accurate standard written form. When you see reason in a sentence, train yourself to expect a clause starting with that or a simple because clause without the word reason itself.

Final Answer:
The error is in part 2; the phrase “is because her” should be replaced with “is that her”.