Identify the errors in the given sentence and choose the sentence that rectifies these errors.
The boy you met on an train last night was quite impressed by you. He has expressed his wish to work under you.
Show answer & explanation
Correct answer: B
Explanation
The correct answer is option 2 i.e. The boy you met on the train last night was quite impressed by you. He has expressed his wish to work under you.
Error Concept: Article usage and noun usage with proper determiners.
What is wrong: In the original sentence, the phrase “on an train” is incorrect. The article “an” is used before vowel sounds, but “train” starts with a consonant sound, so we should use “a”. Also, “the train” is better because it refers to a specific train that was already known or mentioned (the one last night).
Grammar Concept:
-
Articles: “A” and “an” are indefinite articles used when we talk about something for the first time or in general. “The” is a definite article, used for something specific.
-
Determiners: Singular countable nouns like “boy” and “train” require an article or determiner before them.
Incorrectness of the concept in context:
-
“An train” is grammatically incorrect because “train” doesn’t begin with a vowel sound.
-
“On train” is incorrect because singular countable nouns like “train” need an article.
-
“Boy you met...” is incorrect because we need “The boy...” to clearly specify which boy.
Correction: Use “the boy” and “on the train” for clarity and correctness.
Corrected phrase: The boy you met on the train
Final sentence: The boy you met on the train last night was quite impressed by you. He has expressed his wish to work under you.
Hence, the chosen option is correct.