Question

• rectify the error in the given lines;
Following it by companions,
l was last unable to grab it by the scruff of.
it's neck while it shaped and
try to scratch me.
Error corrections
(a) ......... .................
(b) ......... ................
(C) .......... ................
(D) .......... ................

Answer 1

Following it with companions, I was last, unable to grab it by the scruff of its neck while it shaped and tried to scratch me.

Answer 2

Error, Correction

(a) By, With my

(b) Last unable, At last able

(c) Shaped, Snapped

(d) Try, Tried

The paragraph is from a story in Beehive Book – The bond of Love by Kenneth Anderson. Here one of the narrator’s friends kills a bear while they were going through a sugarcane field and come across her baby bear, which runs away. The narrator and his friends then chase the baby bear and try to catch it as a present for his wife.

Explanation:

• (a) 'With my' is the correct answer, as the story is from the narrator's point and not baby bear, so the sentence is in first-person form and the correct clause will be 'with my'.
• (b) At Last able is the correct answer, as the narrator finally grabs the baby bear, the correct way of describing it would be ‘at last able to’.
• (c) Snapped is the correct answer, as snapped means when an animal bites someone getting angry.
• (d) Tried is the correct answer, because the sentence is in past tense so the past form of try will be used here i.e. tried.

Explanation for incorrect answers:

• (a) By is the incorrect answer. If someone needs to be described as an agent of something, 'by' is used.
• (b) Last unable is the incorrect answer, as per the reference of the story the narrator is able to catch the bear, so this clause is incorrect here.
• (c) Shaped is the incorrect answer, as shaped is used for things and objects to describe a definite outline.
• (d) Try is the incorrect answer. The sentence is not in present for, try can not be used here.