English Grammar – Spot the error (choose the erroneous segment or ‘‘No error’’). Sentence: Ever since the government announced its new policy the private institutions had run into heavy weather.

Introduction / Context:
“Ever since” signals a time starting in the past and continuing to the present. Therefore, the present perfect is expected in the main clause, not past perfect. This item tests tense sequencing with time expressions.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• Time marker: “Ever since …”.
• Past event: government “announced”.
• Ongoing result: institutions “have run into heavy weather”.
• Current phrasing wrongly uses “had” (past perfect).

Concept / Approach:
Use present perfect (“have/has + past participle”) to express a state persisting from a past point to now: “Ever since …, … have run …”. Past perfect (“had run”) would require another explicit past reference point and does not fit with “ever since” reaching to the present.

Step-by-Step Solution:

Verification / Alternative check:
Try “since 2022 … have …”. The present perfect is natural; past perfect would be wrong without a past anchor.

Why Other Options Are Wrong/Acceptable:

• A–B and D are fine once C is corrected.
• E cannot be chosen because an error exists in C.

Common Pitfalls:
Using past perfect by default after “since”; forgetting that “ever since” normally pairs with present perfect.

Final Answer:
the private institutions had