English grammar error-spotting (correct past participle of ‘‘overflow’’): Read the parts and choose the one with the error; select ‘‘No error’’ only if all parts are correct: ‘‘There was very heavy rain last night, / and the rivers have overflown their banks / causing severe hardship to the people living by them. / No error.’

Verbal Ability Spotting Errors Difficulty: Easy
Choose an option
  • A
    There was very heavy rain last night,
  • B
    and the rivers have overflown their banks
  • C
    causing severe hardship to the people living by them.
  • D
    No error.

Answer

Correct Answer: and the rivers have overflown their banks

Explanation

Given data

  • B uses ‘‘have overflown’’.

Concept / ApproachThe verb ‘‘overflow’’ forms its past and past participle as ‘‘overflowed’’. ‘‘Overflown’’ is the past participle of ‘‘overfly’’ (or an adjective meaning ‘‘covered with water’’) and is not used here.

Correction‘‘… the rivers have overflowed their banks …’’

Common pitfalls

  • Overgeneralizing ‘‘-flown’’ as the participle for verbs beginning with ‘‘over-’’.

Final Answerand the rivers have overflown their banks

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