Find the part of the sentence that contains an error:
We ran into (1) / some old friends (2) / at the mall (3) / and catch up(4).
Show answer & explanation
Correct answer: D
Explanation
Correct Answer
and catch up. (4)
Explanation
The question tests the rule of parallelism and consistency in verb tenses across a sentence.
When a sentence contains a sequence of actions joined by a coordinating conjunction (like "and"), all the verbs must match in tense to maintain a logical timeline. The introductory part of this sentence establishes a clear past-tense setting using the verb "ran" (the past tense of run).
Because the entire event took place in the past, the final verb phrase must also be in the past tense. The present tense verb "catch" is grammatically incorrect here. The sentence should correctly read: "We ran into some old friends at the mall and caught up." Therefore, part 4 contains the error, making Option 4 the correct choice.
The other parts are grammatically sound:
"We ran into" correctly uses the past tense of the phrasal verb run into, which means to meet someone unexpectedly.
"some old friends" and "at the mall" use correct object placement and prepositional phrasing.
Key Points
Tense inconsistency is a common error spotted in competitive exams. To ensure accuracy under time constraints, locate all action words in a sentence and verify that they match the established timeline. For example, "She opened the book, read a page, and smiled" maintains a parallel past-tense structure, whereas mixing present and past forms creates a grammatical flaw.