Question

Find the error in the following sentence.
The new law is too stringent; it will be neither respected or obeyed.
(a)too
(b)it
(c)be
(d)or
(e)no error

Answer 1

Hint: The subject, verb, and object should all match with each other. The plurality of the verb should also align with the given subject.

Complete answer: In order to find the error in the given sentence, we must
first understand how sentences are constructed. We must identify the different parts of
speech in the given sentence.
The most basic construction in English is ‘subject + verb + object’. However, it becomes
more complicated when other parts of speech come into play. We can add describing
words such as adjectives, adverbs, and prepositions. Adjectives are usually placed before
a noun and adverbs are usually placed before an adjective or verb.

In grammar, the conjunction is a part of speech that connects words, phrases, or clauses that are called the conjuncts of the conjunctions. Conjunctions have an important function because they join other words and phrases together. Without conjunctions, we could only make very, very simple sentences. Some conjunctions contain multiple words. They are called correlative conjunctions.
In the given sentence, the correlative conjunction is incomplete.
Now, we know what we are looking for. Let’s go through the available options:
(a)too - This word is used as an adverb. This word is used correctly in the sentence. This is not the required answer. So, this is an incorrect option.
(b)it - This word is used as a pronoun. This word is used correctly in the sentence. This is not the required answer. So, this is an incorrect option.
(c)be - This word is used as an infinitive. This word is used correctly in the sentence. This is not the required answer. So, this is an incorrect option.
(d)or - This word is used as part of the conjunction with the word ‘neither’. This word is used incorrectly in the sentence. This is the required answer. So, this is the correct option.
(e)no error - This is an incorrect option as we have already found the error from the above-given options.

Note:Dissect the sentence and go through parts of the sentence separately, and see if there are any errors to be worth noting. Check all the parts of speech carefully.