The following sentence has been split into four segments. Identify the segment that contains a grammatical error.
It was an insight / and determination of the lady doctor / that people were / able to lead a normal life.
Show answer & explanation
Correct answer: C
Explanation
The correct answer is option 3 i.e. It was an insight.
Error concept: Incorrect article usage before an uncountable or abstract noun.
What is wrong: The phrase “It was an insight” is grammatically incorrect because “insight” is an abstract, uncountable noun when referring to general understanding or perception. It cannot normally take the indefinite article “an.”
Grammatical concept:
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Uncountable nouns (like advice, information, insight, knowledge, etc.) do not take “a” or “an.”
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However, if we refer to a specific instance or type of insight, we can modify it with an adjective — e.g., “It was a brilliant insight.”
In this sentence, “insight” is used in a general, unmodified sense — so no article should be used.
Incorrectness of the concept in context: The sentence speaks of the lady doctor’s insight and determination together as qualities, not as countable things. Therefore, “an” is unnecessary.
How to correct: Remove the article “an” before “insight.”
Correct phrase / correction: It was insight and determination of the lady doctor
Final sentence:
It was insight and determination of the lady doctor that people were able to lead a normal life.
Hence, the chosen option is correct.