Parts of the following sentence have been given as options. Select the option that contains an error.
It was an interesting chat with an European gymnast that changed my mindset towards the sport.
Show answer & explanation
Correct answer: D
Explanation
The correct answer is option 4 i.e. an European gymnast that changed.
Error concept: Wrong use of article before a word starting with a vowel sound.
What is wrong: The sentence uses “an European”, but the word “European” begins with a /yoo/ sound, which is a consonant sound, not a vowel sound.
Grammatical concept: The article “an” is used before words starting with a vowel sound, while “a” is used before words starting with a consonant sound.
Incorrectness of the concept in context: Using “an European” is wrong because the sound is consonantal, so it does not match the rule of article usage.
How to correct: Replace “an European” with “a European.”
Correct phrase/ correction: a European gymnast that changed
Final sentence: It was an interesting chat with a European gymnast that changed my mindset towards the sport.
Hence, the chosen option is correct.