Identify the error in the sentence.
We was discussing the project when the lights went out.
Show answer & explanation
Correct answer: D
Explanation
Correct Answer
was
Explanation
Core Meaning: The sentence describes a past situation where a group's conversation about a planned task was suddenly interrupted by a sudden electricity failure. To solve this quickly for an exam, apply the fundamental rules of subject-verb agreement. Identify the subject of the sentence, which is the first-person plural pronoun "We." A plural subject strictly requires a plural auxiliary verb when forming the past continuous tense. The singular past auxiliary verb "was" is incorrect here and must be replaced with the plural past auxiliary verb "were" to match the subject perfectly. Therefore, "was" is the grammatically flawed element in the sentence.
Key Points
Core Definition: Identifying structural errors in a sentence requires verifying that the auxiliary verb matches the numerical value of its preceding subject pronoun.
Grammatical Role: Locating a subject-verb agreement violation where a plural pronoun is incorrectly paired with a singular past-tense verb.