Identify the error in the sentence.
He always is arriving late to meetings.
Show answer & explanation
Correct answer: A
Explanation
Correct Answer
always is
Explanation
Adverb Placement Rule: The error lies in the word order of the adverb of frequency always and the auxiliary verb is. In English grammar, adverbs of frequency must be placed after the verb to be (am, is, are, was, were) when it acts as a main or auxiliary verb.
Correct Structure: The correct arrangement requires the auxiliary verb to precede the adverb, changing "always is arriving" to is always arriving.
Alternative Interpretation: Additionally, when expressing a habitual or routine action ("He always..."), the simple present tense (He always arrives) is generally preferred over the present continuous tense unless the speaker intends to express annoyance or exaggeration. In both structural interpretations, the segment "always is" remains grammatically incorrect.
Key Points
Word: always is
Meaning: The grammatically flawed word order segment combining an adverb of frequency and the verb to be.
Grammatical Role: Modifier-auxiliary inversion error (violates the syntactic rule governing adverb placement relative to the verb to be).