Question

Choose the option with the correct placement of the underlined word.
The late Dr A.P.J Abdul Kalam was the 11th president of India.
A) No change
B) Dr A.P.J Abdul Kalam was the 11th president of India late.
C) Dr A.P.J Abdul Kalam was the late 11th president of India.
D) The Dr. A.P.J Abdul Kalam late was the 11th president of India.

Answer 1

Hint: Sentence formation is vital in delivering the required meaning. If a sentence is not formed correctly then the reader will not be able to comprehend the desired meaning.

Complete answer:
Late in this sentence means, belonging to a period in the past. Late is an adjective. Adjectives must be placed in a sentence in a manner such that whatever they say about the noun is made clear. When they are placed before nouns then they generally tell about the attribute of that noun. When they are placed after the linking verbs in a sentence then they function as the predicate of that sentence.

Let us analyze the given options:
A) Correct answer - This is the correct option as the adjective ‘late’ in the given sentence, is about an attribute of Abdul Kalam.
B) Incorrect answer - This is an incorrect option because the adjective is placed after the noun India. Adjectives are usually placed before the noun or after the linking verb.
C) Incorrect answer - This is an incorrect option because the adjective in this sentence is distorting the grammar. It is grammatically incorrect because ‘was’ and ‘late’ cannot be used together unless the word ‘late’ is used as an adverb.
D) Incorrect answer - This is an incorrect option because the adjective is placed before the linking verb ‘was’. Adjectives are usually placed before the noun or after the linking verb.

Therefore the correct answer is option ‘A’.

Note: In some sentences, an adjective is placed after the object of the sentence. For e.g. Everyone praised her beauty. In such sentences, they function as an object complement.