In the following sentence, some part may have an error. Find out which part of the sentence has an error and select the appropriate option. If the sentence is free from error, select "No Error": "The magician placed the ball (1)/ underneath of his hat and (2)/ made a mystic sign above it. (3)/ No Error (4)".

Introduction / Context:
This error spotting question focuses on the correct use of prepositions in English, specifically with the word "underneath". The sentence describes a magician placing a ball under his hat before performing a trick. One of the segments uses an incorrect combination of "underneath" and "of", and your job is to identify that error.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• Segment (1): "The magician placed the ball".
• Segment (2): "underneath of his hat and".
• Segment (3): "made a mystic sign above it."
• Segment (4): "No Error".
• We are describing the position of the ball in relation to the hat.

Concept / Approach:
In English, "underneath" is already a preposition meaning "directly under" or "beneath". It does not normally take "of" after it. We say "underneath his hat" or "under his hat", not "underneath of his hat". The extra "of" is ungrammatical. Therefore, the error lies in segment (2), which should read "underneath his hat and". The rest of the sentence is correctly constructed.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Read the full sentence: "The magician placed the ball underneath of his hat and made a mystic sign above it." Step 2: Check segment (1): "The magician placed the ball". This is a correct and complete subject-verb-object pattern. Step 3: Examine segment (2): "underneath of his hat and". Here, the combination "underneath of" seems awkward and non standard. Step 4: Recall that "underneath" is a preposition that directly takes its object ("underneath his hat"), similar to "under his hat". It does not need an additional "of". Step 5: Rewrite the phrase correctly as "underneath his hat and", which reads naturally and grammatically. Step 6: Check segment (3): "made a mystic sign above it." This is correct and follows logically from the first action. Step 7: Conclude that the only error is in segment (2).

Verification / Alternative check:
Compare with standard phrases: "He hid the key underneath the mat," "The cat slept underneath the table," or "She kept the letter under her pillow." None of these use "underneath of". Adding "of" after "underneath" would sound incorrect to native speakers. In your sentence, "The magician placed the ball underneath his hat" parallels these examples and confirms the correct prepositional form.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Segment (1) is grammatically sound and sets up the action clearly. Segment (3) is also correct, with "made a mystic sign above it" clearly referring back to the ball under the hat. Segment (4), "No Error", is wrong because we have already identified an error in segment (2), so the sentence cannot be considered error free.

Common Pitfalls:
Many learners overuse "of" after certain prepositions, producing forms like "inside of", "outside of", or "underneath of", which can be acceptable in very informal speech but are not considered correct in standard exam English. Another pitfall is to focus only on content words like "magician", "mystic", and "sign" and overlook small functional words like prepositions, where exam setters often hide the errors.

Final Answer:
The error is in part 2. The sentence should read: "The magician placed the ball underneath his hat and made a mystic sign above it."