Find the part of the sentence that contains an error:
The protest, though peaceful in nature, (1)/ were portrayed by official channels (2)/ as instigated by external forces (3)/ and ideologically driven groups. (4)
Show answer & explanation
Correct answer: B
Explanation
The correct answer is option 2 i.e. (2)
Error Concept: Subject-verb agreement
What is wrong: The verb “were” is incorrectly used with the singular subject.
Grammar Concept: The verb must agree with the main subject in number. Here, the subject is “The protest” (singular), so a singular verb should be used.
Incorrectness of the concept in context: “were portrayed” is plural, which does not agree with the singular subject “protest.”
Correction: Replace “were” with “was.”
Corrected phrase: was portrayed
Final sentence: The protest, though peaceful in nature, was portrayed by official channels as instigated by external forces and ideologically driven groups.
Hence, the chosen option is correct.