The following sentence has been split into four segments. Identify the segment that
contains a grammatical error.
(A) He spoke passionately about his favourite book, / (B) articulating his thoughts clear
/ (C) and engaging everyone in a lively discussion / (D) about its themes.
Show answer & explanation
Correct answer: B
Explanation
The correct answer is option 2 i.e. articulating his thoughts clear.
Error concept: Adjective vs. Adverb usage
What is wrong: The word “clear” is an adjective, but here we need an adverb to describe how he was articulating his thoughts.
Grammatical concept: When we describe a verb (like 'articulating'), we must use an adverb, not an adjective.
Incorrectness of the concept in context: The sentence is describing the manner in which he articulated his thoughts. So, the word should show how he did it — which requires an adverb.
How to correct: Replace “clear” with “clearly”.
Correct phrase/ correction: articulating his thoughts clearly
Final sentence: He spoke passionately about his favourite book, articulating his thoughts clearly and engaging everyone in a lively discussion about its themes.
Hence, the chosen option is correct.