Parts of the following sentence have been given as options. Select the option that contains an error.
Last week, while walking in the garden, I saw a toddler who was sleeping in the pram.
Show answer & explanation
Correct answer: D
Explanation
The correct answer is option 4 i.e. was sleeping in the pram.
Error concept: Wrong contextual usage.
What is wrong: A toddler is a child who is able to walk. It is inappropriate to describe a toddler as “sleeping in the pram.”
Grammatical concept: Words must be used in their correct contextual meaning. While the verb form is grammatically correct, the phrase is contextually inaccurate.
Incorrectness of the concept in context: Saying a “toddler was sleeping in the pram” is illogical, as toddlers usually do not lie in prams like infants.
How to correct: Replace “toddler” with “baby,” or rewrite to remove the mismatch.
Correct phrase/ correction: a baby who was sleeping in the pram
Final sentence: Last week, while walking in the garden, I saw a baby who was sleeping in the pram.
Hence, the chosen option is correct.