Find the part of the sentence that contains an error:
His influence (1)/ lasted from a decade (2)/ impacting key policies (3)/ across sectors. (4)
Show answer & explanation
Correct answer: B
Explanation
Correct Answer
(2)
Explanation
To identify the error, look at the prepositional phrase used to express the duration of time in part (2):
The Error: The phrase "lasted from a decade" is grammatically incorrect. The preposition "from" is used to indicate a specific starting point in time (e.g., "from 2010"), and it typically requires a corresponding preposition like "to" or "until" to show an end point.
The Correction: When expressing a total span or duration of time (a decade), the correct preposition to use is "for".
Corrected Sentence: His influence lasted for a decade, impacting key policies across sectors.
Key Points
Grammar Rule:
For + Period of Time (e.g., for a decade, for two weeks).
From + Point of Time \dots [To + Point of Time]}$ (e.g., from Monday to Friday).
Exam Shortcut: Whenever you see "from" or "since" paired with a broad duration of time rather than a specific starting date, look closer—it is a highly common error trap designed to test your knowledge of duration prepositions.