The following sentence has been split into four segments. Identify the segment that contains a grammatical error.
That accident happened [A] /a long time ago, but [B] / I have shivered at [C] / the thought of it ever for [D].
Show answer & explanation
Correct answer: A
Explanation
The correct answer is option 1, i.e. D.
In the sentence, the segment [D] “for” is grammatically incorrect:
- The phrase should read:
“I have shivered at the thought of it ever.”
Here, “ever” stands alone as an adverb modifying “shivered,” and “for” is unnecessary and disrupts the phrase's natural flow.
Let’s break it down:
A (“That accident happened”) – correct
B (“a long time ago, but”) – correct
C (“I have shivered at”) – correct usage, as the idiom “shivered at the thought of” is appropriate contextually.
D (“for”) – incorrect; it's an extraneous preposition that doesn't fit here.
That accident happened a long time ago, but I have shivered at the thought of it ever.