Introduction / Context:
This question tests grammar and sentence structure, specifically the correct use of adjectives, infinitives, and verb forms in English. The sentence “It was difficult decided about break up” is broken into parts, and the candidate must identify which part contains a grammatical error. Such questions are very common in competitive exams because they check whether a learner can recognize incorrect verb patterns and unnatural phrasing in everyday English sentences.
Given Data / Assumptions:
- The sentence is divided into four parts: (1) “It was”, (2) “difficult decided”, (3) “about break up.”, and (4) “No error”.
- We are told to select the part that contains the error, or choose “No error” if the sentence is correct.
- The intended meaning is likely: “It was difficult to decide about the break-up.”
- The sentence uses “difficult” as an adjective and attempts to express a decision about ending a relationship or arrangement.
Concept / Approach:
In English, we commonly use the pattern “It is/was + adjective + to + verb” to express that an action is difficult, easy, important, and so on. For example, “It is difficult to decide,” “It was easy to understand.” After an adjective like “difficult,” we do not directly use a past tense verb like “decided”; instead, we use an infinitive “to decide.” Also, the phrase “about break up” is not very elegant, but the primary grammatical error lies in the verb form “decided” after “difficult.” Therefore, we carefully analyze each part to see which one breaks the standard pattern most clearly.
Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Examine part (1): “It was.” This is correct. The subject “It” and the past tense “was” form a valid beginning.
Step 2: Examine part (2): “difficult decided.” Here, “difficult” is an adjective, and “decided” is a past tense verb. In correct English, we expect “difficult to decide,” not “difficult decided.” This suggests a clear error in part (2).
Step 3: Examine part (3): “about break up.” Although a more natural phrase would be “about the break-up” or “about breaking up,” this part can be considered a secondary issue. Examination questions usually focus on the most obvious and unambiguous error, which here is the verb form in (2).
Step 4: Confirm that the main structural pattern should be “It was difficult to decide about the break-up.” The only absolutely incorrect part for exam purposes is the combination “difficult decided.”
Step 5: Conclude that part (2) is where the grammatical error lies.
Verification / Alternative check:
We can reconstruct the corrected version: “It was difficult to decide about the break-up.” If we adjust only the verb in part (2) from “decided” to “to decide,” the sentence becomes grammatically acceptable in the context of exam-level English. This confirms that the primary error is the wrong verb form following “difficult.” Error-spotting questions typically want the candidate to notice the wrong pattern “adjective + past tense verb” where “adjective + to + verb” is required.
Why Other Parts Are Not Selected:
- Part (1) “It was”: Correct subject–verb combination in the past tense.
- Part (3) “about break up”: While “about the break-up” or “about breaking up” would be stylistically better, exam questions usually avoid making such ambiguous stylistic issues the key error when there is a clearer and more obvious grammar mistake elsewhere.
- Part (4) “No error”: This is never chosen when an actual grammatical error is present.
Common Pitfalls:
A common error among learners is to directly attach a past tense verb after an adjective, such as “It is difficult understood” or “It was easy solved,” instead of using “to understand” or “to solve.” Another pitfall is focusing only on the last part of the sentence and ignoring a clear error in the middle. When tackling error-spotting questions, always check for standard patterns like “It is/was + adjective + to + verb” and ensure that the correct verb form is used.
Final Answer:
The erroneous part of the sentence is in segment
2, which contains “difficult decided.” It should be “difficult to decide.”
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