Question

A sentence is divided into three parts. Choose the incorrect part. If no error is in the sentence , choose the option (D).
(A) The Principal as well as teachers of the college
(B) were present at
(C) the annual sports day
(D) No error

• A. The Principal as well as teachers of the college
• B. were present at
• C. the annual sports day
• D. No error

Hint:

When you see phrases like "as well as", mentally cross out the phrase and everything after it up to the verb:
"The Principal [as well as teachers] was present..."
This helps you identify the true singular subject instantly and avoid the distraction of plural nouns.

Answer 1

The Correct Option is B

Step 1: Understanding the Question:
This question tests subject-verb agreement when multiple subjects are connected using parenthetical or additive conjunctions.

Step 2: Key Formulas and approach:
The sentence contains two subjects: "The Principal" (singular) and "teachers" (plural), connected by the phrase "as well as".
The grammatical rule states: when two nouns are connected by "as well as", "along with", "together with", "with", "accompanied by", or "in addition to", the verb must agree with the *first* noun.

Step 3: Detailed Explanation:
$\bullet$ The first noun in Part (A) is "The Principal", which is singular.
$\bullet$ The second noun is "teachers", which is plural.
$\bullet$ According to the rule, the verb must agree with "The Principal" (singular), requiring a singular verb.
$\bullet$ In Part (B), the verb is "were", which is plural and therefore incorrect. It must be replaced by "was".
$\bullet$ Part (C) has no grammatical issues.

Step 4: Final Answer:
The error is in Part (B), meaning Option (B) is the correct choice.