Directions: Each item in this section has a sentence with three underlined parts labelled (a), (b) and (c). Read each sentence to determine whether there is an error in any underlined part and indicate your response on the answer sheet against the above-mentioned corresponding letter. If there is no error, indicate your response as (d).
(a) The officer marvelled
(b) at the low attendance
(c) remarking on the presence of less than twenty people at work.
(d) No error
- AThe officer marvelled
- Bat the low attendance
- Cremarking on the presence of less than twenty people at work.
- DNo error
Explanation
The phrase "less than twenty people" in (c) misuses "less" with a countable noun; the rule requires "fewer than twenty people". "Less" is for uncountable quantities, "fewer" for countable numbers — the standard less/fewer distinction tested in CDS papers. Parts (a) and (b) — "the officer marvelled at the low attendance" — are correct. The error is in (c).