English Grammar – Spot the error (identify the erroneous segment or choose ‘‘No error’’). Sentence: Several issues raising in the meeting could be amicably resolved due to his tactful handling.
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ASeveral issues raising
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Bin the meeting could
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Cbe amicably resolved
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Ddue to his tactful handling.
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ENo error.
Answer
Correct Answer: Several issues raising
Explanation
Introduction / Context:Error-spotting questions test command of verb forms and participles. Here, the focus is on the correct non-finite form used to modify a noun (“issues”).
Given Data / Assumptions:
- Noun phrase in question: “Several issues raising”.
- Event frame: issues occurred in a meeting and were resolved.
- The rest of the sentence appears structurally sound.
Concept / Approach:Past participles are used for completed actions that modify nouns (raised issues). Present participles (-ing) indicate ongoing, active roles (issues that are doing the action), which is not intended here. We need a reduced relative clause equivalent to “issues that were raised”.
Step-by-Step Solution:
Target meaning: issues were raised during the meeting.Form rule: Use past participle to show passive/complete action modifying a noun.Correction: “Several issues raised in the meeting…” (or “that were raised”).Final corrected sentence: “Several issues raised in the meeting could be amicably resolved due to his tactful handling.”Verification / Alternative check:Substitute the full relative clause: “issues that were raised…”. This clearly matches the context and confirms the past participle “raised” is correct.
Why Other Options Are Wrong:
- “in the meeting could” – correct prepositional placement.
- “be amicably resolved” – correct passive construction with adverb placement.
- “due to his tactful handling.” – idiomatic causal phrase; fine.
- “No error.” – incorrect since option A contains an error.
Common Pitfalls:Confusing “-ing” forms (present participle/gerund) with past participles in reduced clauses; overusing “-ing” after nouns when a passive meaning is intended.
Final Answer:Several issues raising