Find the part of the sentence that contains an error:
The manager call (1) / off the meeting (2) / due to an emergency (3) / at home(4).
Show answer & explanation
Correct answer: A
Explanation
Correct Answer
The manager called (1)
Explanation
The question asks to identify the part of the sentence containing a grammatical error. To solve this quickly for an exam, look for a mismatch in subject-verb agreement or an incorrect verb tense.
The subject of the sentence is "The manager," which is a singular noun. In the present tense, a singular noun requires a singular verb ending in "-s" or "-es" (calls). The base form "call" is completely incorrect here regardless of the timeline:
If the event is happening in the present, it should be: The manager calls off...
If the event happened in the past (which makes the most sense contextually for an emergency), it should be: The manager called off...
Interestingly, the test creator accidentally corrected this error when typing out Option 1, changing the original question's text from "The manager call (1)" to "The manager called (1)". This confirms that the mistake lies entirely in the first part of the sentence.
Therefore, part (1) contains the structural error, making Option 1 the correct choice.
Key Points
Spotting errors requires checking singular subjects to ensure they are never paired with the base plural form of a verb in the present tense.
The phrasal verb "call off" means to cancel an event, and it must be conjugated properly to "calls off" or "called off" depending on the timeline of the sentence.