Find the part of the sentence that contains an error:
Rarely if ever have there been a time (1)/ when dissent was met (2)/ with such institutional disregard (3)/ as in the present administration. (4)
Show answer & explanation
Correct answer: A
Explanation
The correct answer is Option 1 i.e. (1).
Error Concept: Related to Subject-Verb Agreement in sentences beginning with negative adverbs (Inversion).
What is wrong: The plural auxiliary verb "have" is incorrectly used with the singular subject "a time."
Grammatical concept: When a sentence begins with a negative or semi-negative adverb like "Rarely," "Seldom," or "Hardly," the auxiliary verb comes before the subject (Inversion). However, the verb must still agree with the real subject of the sentence.
Incorrectness of the concept in context: Here, the real subject is "a time," which is singular. Therefore, using the plural verb "have" creates a subject-verb disagreement.
Correction: "have" should be replaced with "has" to match the singular subject "a time."
Correct phrase: Rarely if ever has there been a time
Final sentence: Rarely if ever has there been a time when dissent was met with such institutional disregard as in the present administration.
Hence, the chosen option is correct.