Introduction / Context:
This error spotting question checks your understanding of prepositions used with the verb stick. The sentence describes someone having difficulty removing chewing gum from hair. One part contains an incorrect preposition, and you must identify that segment. Such small preposition errors are very common in exam questions because they test fine points of natural usage.
Given Data / Assumptions:
- Sentence: My sister had a tough time (1) removing the chewing gum that (2) stuck with her hair. (3) No Error (4).
- Part 1: My sister had a tough time.
- Part 2: removing the chewing gum that.
- Part 3: stuck with her hair.
- The intended meaning is that chewing gum became attached to her hair.
Concept / Approach:
The standard preposition used with stick in this context is stick to, not stick with. For example, The label stuck to the bottle, or The mud stuck to his shoes. When something becomes physically attached to another surface, we say it sticks to that surface. Therefore, the phrase stuck with her hair is incorrect; it should be stuck to her hair. The error therefore lies in part 3.
Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Examine part 1: My sister had a tough time. This is a correct and natural expression meaning she faced difficulty.
Step 2: Examine part 2: removing the chewing gum that. This correctly leads into a relative clause that describes the gum.
Step 3: Examine part 3: stuck with her hair. Here, with is the preposition, and it does not match the normal pattern with stick.
Step 4: Replace with with to and read the corrected phrase: stuck to her hair, which is standard English.
Step 5: Since only part 3 contains this prepositional error, we mark 3 as the incorrect part.
Step 6: Part 4 represents No Error and cannot be correct, because we have already identified a specific issue.
Verification / Alternative check:
Test the sentence with the corrected phrase: My sister had a tough time removing the chewing gum that stuck to her hair. This version sounds completely natural and matches the way native speakers describe such a situation. If we tried to justify stuck with her hair, it would still sound odd in comparison. Standard English usage clearly prefers stick to in this physical contact sense, confirming that part 3 is wrong as given.
Why Other Options Are Wrong:
- Part 1: My sister had a tough time is a correct idiomatic expression.
- Part 2: removing the chewing gum that correctly introduces the relative clause and has no error.
- Part 4: No Error is not appropriate because a definite preposition error has already been found in part 3.
Common Pitfalls:
Some learners may overlook prepositions because they focus more on verbs and tenses. Others might think with is acceptable because it appears in phrases like mix with or cover with. However, each verb often has specific prepositions that collocate with it, and stick almost always uses to when describing adhesion. Remember examples like The poster stuck to the wall and The tape stuck to his fingers to reinforce this pattern.
Final Answer:
The error is in segment
3; it should be stuck to her hair, not stuck with her hair.
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