Find the part of the sentence that contains an error:
A elephant (1) / was seen wandering (2) / on the road (3) / late at night (4).
Show answer & explanation
Correct answer: A
Explanation
Correct Answer
A elephant (1)
Explanation
The question tests the fundamental rule of indefinite articles ("a" vs. "an").
The indefinite article "an" must be used before any singular, countable noun that begins with a vowel sound (a, e, i, o, u). Conversely, the article "a" is used before words that begin with a consonant sound.
The word "elephant" begins with the letter 'e' and produces a short vowel sound (/ɛ/). Therefore, using the article "a" is grammatically incorrect. The sentence must begin with "An elephant." This places the error in part 1, making Option 1 the correct choice.
The other parts are grammatically sound:
"was seen wandering" correctly uses the passive voice voice construction (was + V3) followed by a present participle ("wandering") to describe an ongoing action.
"on the road" and "late at night" are standard, idiomatically correct prepositional phrases.
Key Points
This is a quick-scoring rule in competitive exams. Always determine the choice between "a" and "an" by the sound, not just the spelling. For example, you use an before a vowel sound ("an hour," "an honest man," "an MP") and a before a consonant sound ("a university," "a one-eyed man," "a European").