In the following sentence, identify the part that contains an error, or select "No error" if the sentence is correct: "She was annoyed when she found that the chewing gum was stuck to her hair."

Difficulty: Easy

Correct Answer: D

Explanation:


Introduction / Context:
Error spotting questions check a learner's ability to detect grammatical or usage mistakes in seemingly simple sentences. The sentence here describes a girl who becomes annoyed upon discovering chewing gum stuck to her hair. To solve the question, each part must be examined for tense, subject verb agreement, prepositions, and article usage.


Given Data / Assumptions:

    - Part A: She was annoyed - Part B: when she found that - Part C: the chewing gum was stuck to her hair. - Part D: No error - The time reference is clearly in the past.


Concept / Approach:
The approach in such questions is to check each segment in isolation and then in context. The sentence uses simple past tense throughout and describes a completed event. Phrases like was annoyed, found that, and was stuck are standard forms. The article the before chewing gum is acceptable, because it refers to a specific piece of gum that was discovered on her hair.


Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Examine Part A: She was annoyed. This is a correct past tense description of a mental state. Step 2: Examine Part B: when she found that. The conjunction when and the verb found correctly introduce a past time clause. Step 3: Examine Part C: the chewing gum was stuck to her hair. The article the is correct because a specific gum is being referred to, and the verb phrase was stuck clearly shows a passive state. Step 4: Combine all segments to check overall flow: She was annoyed when she found that the chewing gum was stuck to her hair. The sentence is smooth, grammatical, and natural. Step 5: Since no error is found in A, B, or C, the correct choice is Part D: No error.


Verification / Alternative check:
Imagine alternative versions and compare. Changing any part to forms like had found that or got annoyed when she found that does not significantly improve the sentence and is not required by any grammar rule here. The original version already follows standard narration in the simple past tense, which is appropriate for a short completed event discovered earlier.


Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Selecting A, B, or C would imply that one of those parts is grammatically faulty. However, each segment respects basic rules of tense, word order, and article use. There is no mismatch between subject and verb, no incorrect preposition, and no missing article that would justify marking an error in those segments.


Common Pitfalls:
Sometimes candidates assume that every sentence in an error spotting question must contain a mistake. In reality, some items are included specifically to test whether the learner is confident enough to choose the No error option. The best strategy is to evaluate carefully and, if no genuine error is found, confidently select No error rather than forcing a correction.


Final Answer:
D is correct, indicating that the sentence is free from error.

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