The following sentence has been split into four segments. Identify the segment that
contains a grammatical error.
One can never imagine / how hot it gets in Delhi / unless one doesn’t go / there in
person.
Show answer & explanation
Correct answer: B
Explanation
The correct answer is option 2 i.e unless one doesn’t go.
- The segment that contains a grammatical error in the given sentence is "unless one doesn't go."
- The word "unless" is a conjunction that introduces a conditional clause expressing the negative condition. It means that if the condition in the clause is not met, the main clause will be valid.
- In this case, the main clause is "One can never imagine how hot it gets in Delhi," and the conditional clause is "unless one doesn't go there in person."
- However, the phrase "unless one doesn't go" contains a double negative, which makes the sentence grammatically incorrect. The use of "doesn't" and "unless" together creates a negative statement, which is contradictory to the intended meaning.
- To make the sentence grammatically correct, you can replace the segment with "unless one goes" or "unless one has gone." These alternatives do not contain a double negative and convey the intended meaning clearly.
Thus, the correct sentences could be:
1) One can never imagine how hot it gets in Delhi unless one goes there in
person.
2) One can never imagine how hot it gets in Delhi unless one has gone there in
person.