The following sentence has been split into four segments. Identify the segment that contains a grammatical error.
The strain caused by / the difficulties and anxieties / were more than / she could bear.
Show answer & explanation
Correct answer: B
Explanation
The correct answer is Option 2 i.e. were more than.
- The error lies in the option 2 due to the wrong usage of subject-verb agreement.
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The phrase '... caused by the difficulties and anxieties ...' comes between the subject i.e. strain and the verb i.e. were.
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When a phrase comes between the subject and the verb, the verb still agrees with the subject, not the noun or pronoun in the phrase following the subject of the sentence.
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Thus, the sentence can be corrected by using the singular verb 'was' to maintain subject-verb agreement.
The correct sentence will be:-
The strain caused by the difficulties and anxieties was more than she could bear.
Hence, the correct answer is Option 2 i.e. were more than.