In the following error spotting sentence, read the labelled parts and decide which part (A), (B), (C) or (D) contains the error: Today people is ignorant (A) / of the things that (B) / are happening around them. (C) / No Error (D).

Introduction / Context:
This question focuses on subject verb agreement in English. The sentence is divided into parts (A), (B), (C), and (D), and candidates must identify where the grammatical mistake lies. The sentence comments on how people today are unaware of what is happening around them. The key issue is matching the verb form to the plural subject people, which is a common area of confusion for learners because people is plural in form and meaning but sometimes treated incorrectly as singular.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• Part (A): Today people is ignorant
• Part (B): of the things that
• Part (C): are happening around them.
• Part (D): No Error.
• The intended statement is a general truth about people in the present time.

Concept / Approach:
The central concept here is agreement between the subject and its verb. The noun people is plural and therefore requires a plural verb are rather than the singular is. The phrase Today people is ignorant violates this rule. On the other hand, in part (C), the verb are correctly agrees with the plural relative pronoun that refers back to things, so that segment is already correct. Thus we must target the part that pairs the plural subject people with the singular verb is and identify that as the error in the sentence.

Step-by-Step Solution:

Verification / Alternative check:
To verify, rewrite the sentence correctly as Today people are ignorant of the things that are happening around them. Now, the verb are correctly matches the plural subject people, and the relative clause are happening around them also agrees with its plural subject things. The sentence sounds natural and grammatically balanced. If we keep the original phrase Today people is ignorant, the mismatch between plural people and singular is is immediately noticeable to a trained reader. Hence, the only segment that needs correction is part (A), and the rest of the sentence should remain unchanged.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Option B, of the things that, is a correct prepositional phrase introducing a relative clause and does not contain any grammatical mistake. Option C, are happening around them, is correct because the verb are agrees with the plural subject things, and the phrase around them correctly refers back to people. Option D, No Error, cannot be correct because we have clearly found a subject verb agreement error in part (A). Therefore, only option A correctly identifies the segment that violates standard English grammar rules.

Common Pitfalls:
Many learners see the word people and may momentarily think of it as a collective singular, leading them to pair it with is. However, in standard English, people is plural, and person is the corresponding singular form. Another pitfall is focusing only on the relative clause are happening around them and trying to change are to is, which would then create a new error. To avoid such mistakes, always start by finding the main subject and the main verb of the sentence and checking their agreement first. Once that is correct, you can examine subordinate clauses for consistency.

Final Answer:
The error is in part (A), so the correct answer is A.