Multiple choice

Directions: This question presents a sentence, all or part of which is underlined. Beneath the sentence you will find five ways of phrasing the underlined part. The first of these repeats the original; the other four are different. If you think the original is best, choose the first answer; otherwise choose one of the others.

Many a men are given to momentary lapse of concentration and an imaginary sense of grief and desolation.

  1. Many a men are given to momentary lapse of concentration

  2. Many a man is given to a momentary lapse of concentration

  3. Many a men is given to momentary lapse of concentration

  4. Many a man are given to momentary lapse of concentration

  5. Many a man is given to momentary lapse of concentration
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
B Correct answer
Explanation

Explanation for (1): The sentence bears multiple errors of subject-verb agreement, idiomatic use and parallel structure. 'Many a' takes a singular noun and a singular verb. 'A' momentary lapse, will be parallel to 'an' imaginary sense.

Justification for (2): The sentence bears multiple errors of subject-verb agreement, idiomatic use and parallel structure. 'Many a' takes a singular noun and a singular verb. 'A' momentary lapse, will be parallel to 'an' imaginary sense. Option (2) corrects all the three errors. Hence, (2) is the correct answer.
Explanation for (3): This option corrects the error of singular verb, but fails to correct the errors of singular noun and article.
Explanation for (4): This option corrects the error of singular noun, but fails to correct the errors of singular verb and article. Explanation for (5): This option corrects the error of singular noun and verb, but fails to correct the error of article.

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