In the following sentence, one part may contain a grammatical error. Read the sentence and the labelled parts carefully and identify which segment is incorrect, if any. The sentence is: I do not have (A) / any money to (B) / spend for luxuries. (C) / No error. (D)

Difficulty: Medium

Correct Answer: spend for luxuries

Explanation:


Introduction / Context:
This error spotting question focuses on the correct use of prepositions in English, particularly in common verb plus preposition combinations. The sentence describes a person who lacks money to use on non essential comforts. While the meaning is clear, one part of the sentence uses an incorrect preposition, which is a frequent area of difficulty for learners. Recognising and correcting such subtle prepositional errors is vital for accurate and natural English usage.


Given Data / Assumptions:

  • Original sentence: I do not have (A) / any money to (B) / spend for luxuries. (C) / No error. (D)
  • The sentence is divided into four labelled parts: A, B, C, and D.
  • Part D indicates the choice that there is no error in the sentence.
  • The task is to identify which specific part contains incorrect usage.


Concept / Approach:
The central point here is the correct preposition to use with the verb spend in the sense of using money on something. In standard English, we usually say spend money on luxuries, spend money on food, or spend money on travel. The preposition for does appear in some structures, but in this particular pattern with the infinitive spend and a direct object, the natural and idiomatic preposition is on, not for. Therefore, the phrase spend for luxuries is incorrect and should be spend on luxuries. The rest of the sentence segments follow normal grammar rules and do not create issues.


Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Read the full sentence: I do not have any money to spend for luxuries. Step 2: Check Part A, I do not have, which correctly uses the helping verb and subject with no grammatical error. Step 3: Check Part B, any money to, which is acceptable as a lead into the infinitive verb spend. Step 4: Check Part C, spend for luxuries. This is where the verb spend is followed by the preposition for, which sounds unnatural. Step 5: Recall the correct collocation: spend money on luxuries, not spend money for luxuries, in this sentence structure. Step 6: Conclude that Part C contains the error and should be corrected to spend on luxuries.


Verification / Alternative check:
To verify, substitute the phrase with common expressions. Native speakers and standard grammar references consistently use spend on when money is used for a particular purpose, for example, I spend a lot on books or they spend too much on entertainment. The use of for is more appropriate in different structures such as money for books, but not in the pattern spend for books. By applying this check, we reconfirm that spend for luxuries is incorrect and that the correct phrase is spend on luxuries, pinpointing the error in Part C.


Why Other Options Are Wrong:
I do not have: This fragment is grammatically correct and uses a standard negative construction in English.
any money to: This segment correctly links the object money with the infinitive verb spend and does not contain any mistake.
No error: Selecting this would state that the sentence is entirely correct, which ignores the incorrect preposition in Part C.


Common Pitfalls:
Learners often confuse prepositions because they do not always follow strict logical rules and can vary between languages. A common mistake is to translate directly from a mother tongue in which a different preposition is natural. Another pitfall is believing that for and on are interchangeable whenever a purpose is involved. In English, however, certain verbs form fixed collocations, such as spend on, depend on, and insist on. Building familiarity with these standard combinations by reading and practice is essential to avoid such errors.


Final Answer:
The incorrect segment is spend for luxuries, which appears in Part C and should be changed to spend on luxuries.

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