Select the most appropriate option that can substitute the underlined segment in the given sentence. If there is no need to substitute it, select ‘No substitution required’.
Mahira is an more efficient and hardworking employee of her company.
Show answer & explanation
Correct answer: A
Explanation
The correct answer is option 1 i.e. Mahira is an efficient.
Error concept: Incorrect use of the article “an” before a comparative adjective (more efficient).
What is wrong: The phrase “an more efficient” is grammatically incorrect because “an” is used before words starting with a vowel sound, and it cannot be used before a comparative adjective like “more efficient.”
Grammatical concept:
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“An” is used before singular countable nouns beginning with a vowel sound (e.g., an apple, an hour).
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When using comparative adjectives (like more efficient), no article is used before them unless followed by a noun requiring one.
Incorrectness of the concept in context: Here, “Mahira is an more efficient...” is incorrect because “more efficient” is not a noun phrase; “an” should be removed.
How to correct: Remove “an” and keep the sentence simple as “Mahira is an efficient...” (if referring to her as a generally efficient employee).
Correct phrase / correction: Mahira is an efficient and hardworking employee of her company.
Final sentence: Mahira is an efficient and hardworking employee of her company.
Hence, the chosen option is correct.