Read each sentence to find out whether there is any grammatical or idiomatic…
2023
Read each sentence to find out whether there is any grammatical or idiomatic error in it. The error, if any, will be in one part of the sentence. The letter of that part is the answer. If there is ‘No error’, the answer is (e). (Ignore errors of punctuation, if any).
A nimiety of food were (A)/ spread over the tables and was (B)/ way more than any one (C)/ group of people could eat (D)/.
Answer: A. A — ConceptIn an error-spotting sentence, when the subject is an “a/an + singular noun + of + (plural) noun” phrase (“a bunch of…”, “a quantity of…”, “a nimiety…
- A.
A
- B.
B
- C.
C
- D.
D
- E.
No Error
Attempted by 33 students.
Show answer & explanation
Correct answer: A
Concept
In an error-spotting sentence, when the subject is an “a/an + singular noun + of + (plural) noun” phrase (“a bunch of…”, “a quantity of…”, “a nimiety of…”), the verb agrees with the singular head noun that begins the phrase, not with the plural noun that follows “of”. “Nimiety” means an excess or overabundance, and “a nimiety” is singular, so it takes a singular verb.
Application
Identify the subject of the first verb: the head noun is “nimiety” (singular). “of food” is only a prepositional phrase modifying it, so “food” is not the subject.
A singular subject needs a singular verb, so the correct form is “A nimiety of food was spread…”, not “were spread”.
The segment “A nimiety of food were” therefore carries the subject–verb agreement mistake: the plural “were” does not match the singular “nimiety”.
Cross-check
“spread over the tables and was” — here “was” correctly takes the singular “nimiety”, so this part is sound.
“way more than any one” — “way more” is an accepted intensifier of “more”; grammatically fine.
“group of people could eat” — “group” (singular) with “could eat” is correct.
Since a definite error exists, “No error” does not apply.
Result: The error lies in “A nimiety of food were” — “were” should be “was”.