English grammar – Spot the error (choose the segment with the mistake; if there is no mistake, choose ‘‘No error’’). Sentence: “Do not trouble yourself about writing to me unless you are quite in the humour for it.”
Verbal Ability
Spotting Errors
Difficulty: Easy
Choose an option
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ADo not trouble
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Byourself about writing to me
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Cunless you are quite
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Din the humour for it.
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ENo error.
Answer
Correct Answer: No error.
Explanation
Introduction / Context:At first glance the sentence may look unusual because of the phrase “in the humour”, which is a British-English expression equivalent to “in the mood”. Error-spotting items often include archaisms or regional variants that are still grammatically correct to test whether candidates can distinguish true errors from unfamiliar but acceptable usage.
Given Data / Assumptions:
- Imperative construction: “Do not trouble yourself … unless …”.
- Gerund phrase: “about writing to me”.
- Conditional clause: “unless you are quite in the humour for it.”
Concept / Approach:
- “Trouble yourself about …” is idiomatic and acceptable.
- “Unless” correctly introduces a negative condition.
- “In the humour” in BrE = “in the mood”; it takes the definite article “the”.
Step-by-Step Solution:
Check each segment for grammar: subject implied (you) in imperatives; negation “do not” is correct.Prepositional phrase “about writing to me” correctly uses a gerund.“Unless you are quite in the humour for it” is grammatical; “quite” is an adverb of degree modifying the prepositional complement.Verification / Alternative check:
Paraphrase: “Don’t bother writing unless you really feel like it.” The meaning is clear and the structure sound.Why Other Options Are Wrong:
A–D are all grammatically acceptable; none contains an error.Therefore, the correct choice is “No error”.Common Pitfalls:
Treating unfamiliar BrE expressions as errors; changing correct gerund structures to infinitives without reason.Final Answer:
No error.