In this English error spotting question, examine the sentence "This is an urgent (A) / matter which may admit (B) / of few delays. (C) / No error (D)" and identify which part of the sentence contains a grammatical or usage error.

Introduction / Context:
This is another error spotting question from English grammar. The sentence is split into parts labelled (A), (B), and (C), and there is an option (D) for "No error". The sentence reads: "This is an urgent (A) / matter which may admit (B) / of few delays. (C) / No error (D)". Your task is to identify the part that contains an error in phrase structure or idiomatic usage.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• Part (A): "This is an urgent"
• Part (B): "matter which may admit"
• Part (C): "of few delays."
• The intended meaning is that this is an urgent matter that does not allow much delay.
• Option (D) suggests that there might be no error.

Concept / Approach:
The expression "admit of" in English can mean "allow" or "permit". With urgent matters, the idiomatic pattern is usually "admits of no delay" or "admits of very little delay", which emphasises that delay is not acceptable. The phrase "of few delays" is incorrect because "few" suggests a small number of delays, but the construction with "admit of" and "delay" normally uses an uncountable noun like "delay" without "s". Therefore, the problem lies in the phrase "of few delays".

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Read the full sentence mentally: "This is an urgent matter which may admit of few delays."Step 2: Understand the intended meaning: urgent matters usually do not allow delays.Step 3: Recognise that the usual idiom is "admits of no delay" or "admits of very little delay", not "of few delays".Step 4: Note that "delays" as a plural countable noun is awkward with "admit of" in this fixed phrase.Step 5: Conclude that the error is in part (C), where the noun phrase should be corrected to "of no delay" or "of very little delay".

Verification / Alternative check:
Try correcting the sentence: "This is an urgent matter which admits of no delay." This version is standard and frequently seen in formal writing. Another acceptable variation is "admits of very little delay." In both cases, the phrase in part (C) is different from the original "of few delays". Parts (A) and (B) then work smoothly with the corrected phrase, showing that the original issue was specifically in part (C).

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Part (A), "This is an urgent", naturally connects with "matter" in part (B), so together they form "This is an urgent matter", which is correct. Part (B), "matter which may admit", is acceptable as a lead in to the idiom "admit of". The problem arises only when we reach the phrase "of few delays". Option (D), "No error", is incorrect because the sentence clearly misuses the idiomatic pattern.

Common Pitfalls:
Many learners focus on individual words and miss fixed expressions like "admits of no delay". Another pitfall is misunderstanding "few" and "little". "Few" is used with countable nouns and has a different nuance, while "little" is used with uncountable nouns like "delay". For urgent matters it is more common to speak of "no delay" or "little delay" rather than "few delays". Recognising set phrases is very important in such questions.

Final Answer:
The correct option is Part (C): "of few delays.", because the phrase should be something like "admits of no delay" or "admits of very little delay" instead of the incorrect and unidiomatic expression "of few delays".