Question:
A sentence/a part of the sentence is bracketed. Four alternatives are given to the bracketed part which will improve the sentence. Choose the correct
alternative and click the button corresponding to it. In case no improvement is needed, click the button corresponding to “No improvement”.
He (struggle) to make ends meet.
A sentence/a part of the sentence is bracketed. Four alternatives are given to the bracketed part which will improve the sentence. Choose the correct
alternative and click the button corresponding to it. In case no improvement is needed, click the button corresponding to “No improvement”.
He (struggle) to make ends meet.
Options:
- was struggle
- was struggling
- are struggling
- No improvement
- was struggle
- was struggling
- are struggling
- No improvement
Correct Answer: b)
Explanation:
Detailed Explanation:
The correct alternative to improve the bracketed part is b) was struggling.
- Subject-Verb Agreement & Tense Rule:
- The subject “He” is third-person singular.
- In simple present tense, it requires the singular form with -s/-es (struggles). The bare form struggle violates subject-verb agreement.
- Among the given choices:
- was struggle: Ungrammatical; auxiliary verb was cannot be directly followed by a base verb.
- was struggling (Correct): Past continuous tense (was + V-ing), which correctly agrees with the singular subject He.
- are struggling: Ungrammatical; plural auxiliary are cannot be used with the singular pronoun He.
- No improvement: Incorrect because the original sentence is grammatically faulty.
- Idiom Note: “Make ends meet” means to earn just enough money to cover one’s basic living expenses.
- Correct Sentence: “He was struggling to make ends meet.”
Hence, Option b is correct.
विस्तृत व्याख्या:
कोष्ठक वाले भाग को सुधारने के लिए सही विकल्प b) was struggling है।
- व्याकरणिक नियम एवं कर्ता-क्रिया संगति (Subject-Verb Agreement):
- कर्ता “He” Third-person singular (एकवचन) है।
- साधारण वर्तमान काल में एकवचन कर्ता के साथ क्रिया में -s/-es (अर्थात struggles) होना चाहिए। मूल वाक्य में दिया गया struggle अशुद्ध है।
- विकल्पों का विश्लेषण:
- was struggle: अमान्य व्याकरणिक संरचना; सहायक क्रिया was के बाद मुख्य क्रिया का मूल रूप नहीं आ सकता।
- was struggling (सही उत्तर): Past Continuous Tense (was + V-ing), जो एकवचन कर्ता He के साथ पूर्णतः संगत है।
- are struggling: बहुवचन सहायक क्रिया are का प्रयोग एकवचन He के साथ नहीं हो सकता।
- No improvement: अमान्य, क्योंकि मूल वाक्य गलत है।
- मुहावरा: “Make ends meet” का अर्थ होता है जैसे-तैसे गुजारा करना।
- सही वाक्य: “He was struggling to make ends meet.”
अतः सही उत्तर विकल्प b है।