Detect the error and supply the correction for the given newspaper report on a proposal by a Member of Advisory Board : After the meeting it was obvious that most stakeholders would not support proposals. (A) this (B) that (C) the (D) these
Detect the error and supply the correction for the given newspaper report on a proposal by a Member of Advisory Board : After the meeting it was obvious that most stakeholders would not support proposals. (A) this (B) that (C) the (D) these
Options
(D) these — it is the plural demonstrative that agrees with the plural noun 'proposals' and correctly refers to the specific proposals just discussed at the meeting.
Marking Scheme
- 11 mark for correctly selecting option (D) these; no partial credit is awarded for MCQs; selecting any other option earns 0 marks.
Hint
Check whether the determiner agrees in number with the noun that follows it — 'proposals' is plural.
Quick Oral Answer
Since 'proposals' is plural, the demonstrative determiner before it must also be plural; 'these' is correct, while 'this' and 'that' are singular and 'the' lacks the specific demonstrative reference the context needs.
Analysis & Explanation
This item tests subject–determiner (number) agreement in editing a newspaper report.
Concept tested
- The noun modified, 'proposals', is plural, so the demonstrative determiner before it must also be plural.
- 'These' (plural, near reference) agrees with 'proposals' and correctly points to the specific set of proposals discussed at the meeting.
Why the other options fail
- 'This' and 'that' are singular demonstratives and cannot modify a plural noun — a clear number-agreement error.
- 'The' is grammatically possible before a plural noun but lacks the specific 'just-referred-to' meaning that 'these' supplies here.
Common mistakes
- Treating 'the' as an automatic safe choice without checking whether the context needs a demonstrative's pointing sense.
- Overlooking singular/plural mismatch between determiner and noun.
Common Mistakes
- 1Selecting 'this' or 'that' out of habit without checking that 'proposals' is a plural noun requiring a plural demonstrative.
- 2Choosing 'the' because it seems 'safe' and grammatically neutral, without noticing the context calls for a demonstrative that specifically points to the proposals just discussed.
- 3Not re-reading the full sentence after choosing an option to verify that the corrected sentence actually reads naturally and grammatically.
Interesting Facts
Demonstrative determiners in English (this/that/these/those) are one of the few word classes that must agree in number with the noun they modify — a feature not shared by articles like 'the' or 'a'.
CBSE's editing/error-correction exercises are deliberately built around realistic text types such as newspaper reports, official notices and emails to mirror the kind of real-life proofreading students may need in higher education or careers.
The error of using a singular demonstrative with a plural noun (e.g., 'this proposals') is one of the most frequent grammar mistakes among ESL learners because spoken Hindi and several other Indian languages do not always require overt number marking on demonstratives.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Why can't 'the' be the answer since it's grammatically valid before plural nouns?
'The' is grammatically possible but does not carry the specific demonstrative meaning ('this particular set just discussed') the context needs; 'these' is the more precise and contextually correct choice for a 'detect the error' demonstrative-agreement task.
What is the general rule tested here?
Demonstrative determiners must agree in number with the noun they precede: this/that for singular nouns, these/those for plural nouns.