In the following sentence, identify the part that has an error: Entrance exams for the (A) / posts of associate professors (B) / will begin from Tuesday. (C) / No error (D).

Difficulty: Medium

Correct Answer: C

Explanation:


Introduction / Context:
This error spotting question examines your understanding of correct preposition usage in time expressions. The sentence talks about the starting date for entrance exams for posts of associate professors. It is grammatically almost correct, but the wrong preposition is used with Tuesday, which is a very common mistake in exam English.


Given Data / Assumptions:

  • The sentence is divided into parts: Entrance exams for the (A) / posts of associate professors (B) / will begin from Tuesday. (C) / No error (D).
  • Part A: Entrance exams for the.
  • Part B: posts of associate professors.
  • Part C: will begin from Tuesday.
  • We assume that the exams start on Tuesday, not necessarily continuing from an earlier point mentioned.


Concept / Approach:
In English, when we talk about a specific day on which something begins, we normally use the preposition on, not from. Will begin on Tuesday is the standard pattern. The preposition from is used to indicate a starting point in time when the end is also mentioned or clearly implied, for example, from Tuesday to Friday. Without mentioning an end point, from Tuesday alone often sounds incomplete or slightly awkward in standard exam English.


Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Read the sentence: Entrance exams for the posts of associate professors will begin from Tuesday. Step 2: Focus on the phrase begin from Tuesday and consider whether you have seen this in well edited texts. Step 3: Recall the usual time expression for a single day: begin on Monday, start on Wednesday, open on Sunday, and so on. Step 4: Realise that for a single starting day without an explicit ending, the preposition on is more natural than from. Step 5: Check parts A and B: Entrance exams for the posts of associate professors. This is grammatically correct and clearly specifies which exams. Step 6: Conclude that the error lies in part C, which should be changed to will begin on Tuesday.


Verification / Alternative check:
Test both versions in parallel: The exams will begin from Tuesday versus The exams will begin on Tuesday. The second version is the one you will encounter in official notices, newspapers, and academic announcements. If the sentence had been The exams will be held from Tuesday to Thursday, then from would be correct because both start and end points are shown. Since no end date is mentioned here, using from is less precise and not preferred in exam style.


Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Part A is correct because for the properly introduces the phrase posts of associate professors. Part B is also correct, as posts of associate professors is a grammatically sound noun phrase describing job positions. Part D, No error, is wrong because we have clearly identified a preposition error in part C, so the sentence cannot be error free.


Common Pitfalls:
Many candidates are influenced by informal speech patterns, where people sometimes say from Tuesday casually. However, competitive exams require more standard formal usage. Another pitfall is focusing on content words like associate professors and overlooking small but crucial function words such as prepositions. To avoid this, train yourself to pay close attention to the little connecting words that glue sentences together.


Final Answer:
The mistake is in part C. The correct form is Entrance exams for the posts of associate professors will begin on Tuesday.

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