English grammar – Spot the error (choose the part with an error or “No error”). Inversion pattern: Hardly had the / sad news reached her / ears when she / broke into tears.
Verbal Ability
Spotting Errors
Difficulty: Easy
Choose an option
Answer
Correct Answer: broke into tears.
Explanation
Introduction / Context:The structure “Hardly … when …” with past perfect is correct in A–C. The test here is idiomatic verb choice for the reaction: English prefers “burst into tears,” not “broke into tears.”
Given Data / Assumptions:
- Trigger: “Hardly had … when …” (past perfect + simple past) is grammatical.
- Noun phrase: “sad news” functions as subject of “reached.”
- We must examine idiom accuracy in D.
Concept / Approach:With tears and laughter, the natural collocations are “burst into tears” and “burst into laughter,” not “break into tears.” “Break into” collocates with “song,” “a run,” or “a smile,” but not “tears.” Hence, Part D is the erroneous segment.
Step-by-Step Solution:
A–C: Inversion and tense choices are correct: “Hardly had … when she …”.D: Replace “broke into tears” with “burst into tears.”Verification / Alternative check:
Edited version: “Hardly had the sad news reached her ears when she burst into tears.”Why Other Options Are Wrong:
They are not wrong; A has correct inversion, B the past participle “reached,” C the conjunction “when.”Common Pitfalls:
Overgeneralizing “break into” across all emotional responses; forgetting the set-phrase nature of such collocations.Final Answer:broke into tears.