In the following sentence the underlined part contains an error. Alternatives to the underlined part are given as options.
Select the correct alternative.
Poverty is the urgent concern in India today.
Show answer & explanation
Correct answer: C
Explanation
The correct answer is option 3 i.e. most urgent.
Error concept: Incorrect use of adjective degree.
What is wrong: The sentence uses “the urgent concern”, but it refers to the highest level of urgency, so the superlative form is required.
Grammatical concept:
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Urgent – positive form.
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More urgent – comparative form, used when comparing two things.
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Most urgent – superlative form, used when indicating the highest degree among many.
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Forms like urgenter or urgentest are incorrect in English.
Incorrectness of the concept in context: Saying “the urgent concern” underplays the intensity; “the most urgent concern” correctly conveys the severity.
How to correct: Replace “urgent” with “most urgent.”
Correct phrase/ correction: most urgent
Final sentence: Poverty is the most urgent concern in India today.
Hence, the chosen option is correct.