Identify the errors in the given sentence and choose the sentence that rectifies these errors.
A youth must respect the elderly, the rich must help the needy and a powerful must help the weak. If we keep up this trend, then the world can be a beautiful place.
Show answer & explanation
Correct answer: A
Explanation
The correct answer is option 1 i.e.
'The youth must respect the elderly, the rich must help the needy and the powerful must help the weak. If we keep up this trend, then the world can be a beautiful place.'
Let’s break down the errors in the original sentence:
'A youth must respect the elderly, the rich must help the needy and a powerful must help the weak.'
Error 1: 'A youth'
- 'A youth' refers to one young person.
- But the sentence is general, talking about all young people.
- It should be 'The youth', which refers to young people collectively.
Error 2: 'a powerful'
- “Powerful” is an adjective. You can’t use ‘a’ before an adjective like this unless it’s part of a noun phrase (e.g., 'a powerful man').
- It should be 'the powerful', a collective noun referring to all powerful people.
Now, let’s evaluate each option:
Correct – All article usage and noun phrases are proper. It uses:
“the youth”
“the rich”
“the needy”
“the powerful”
“the weak”
Missing “the” before “powerful”. It says “and powerful must help...”, which is grammatically incorrect.
“help weak” is incorrect. It should be “help the weak”.
Missing “the” before “rich” and “needy” – should be 'the rich' and 'the needy'.