Find the part of the sentence that contains an error:
The ostensibly transparent mechanism (1)/ for employee feedback (2)/ paradoxically obfuscating (3)/ all channels of genuine expression. (4)
Show answer & explanation
Correct answer: C
Explanation
Correct Answer
(3)
Explanation
To find the error, examine the main verb structure of the sentence:
The Error: Part (3) contains the present participle "obfuscating" (V4 / V + ing), but lacks a finite main verb or a supporting auxiliary verb. A standalone V + ing modifier cannot act as the main predicate of a independent clause. This leaves the entire sentence as an ungrammatical sentence fragment.
The Correction: To make the sentence grammatically complete, the participle needs to be replaced with a finite verb that matches the singular subject ("The ostensibly transparent mechanism"). Changing it to the simple present tense "obfuscates" (or past tense "obfuscated") fixes the error.
Corrected Sentence: The ostensibly transparent mechanism for employee feedback paradoxically obfuscates all channels of genuine expression.
Key Points
Grammar Rule: Subject + Present Participle (-ing) = Fragment Error. An independent clause must contain a finite predicate (e.g., Subject + obfuscates or Subject + is obfuscating).
Exam Shortcut: Watch out for complex or dense sentences designed to overwhelm you with vocabulary (ostensibly, paradoxically, obfuscating). Strip the sentence down to its core skeleton—Subject + Verb—to quickly spot if a functional main verb is missing.