Select the most appropriate option that can substitute the highlighted word(s) in the given sentence.
Mr. Wilson is elder than he looks.
Show answer & explanation
Correct answer: C
Explanation
The correct answer is option 3 i.e. older than.
Error concept: Wrong comparative adjective usage.
What is wrong: The sentence uses 'elder than', but elder is not used with 'than' for age comparison. Elder is used only to show seniority in family relations (for example: elder brother).
Grammatical concept:
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Elder/eldest → Used for family members.
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Older/oldest → Used for general age comparisons.
Incorrectness of the concept in context: Since the sentence is about age appearance and not family relation, 'elder than' is incorrect.
How to correct: Replace 'elder than' with 'older than.'
Correct phrase/ correction: older than
Final sentence: Mr. Wilson is older than he looks.
Hence, the chosen option is correct.