Question

Identify and correct the error in the given line taken from a critical review of a recently staged play: As an actor, Ravi Raj, is superior then any other contemporary actor.

Hint:

Use “than” for comparisons and “then” for time sequence.

Answer 1

We need to identify the grammatical error in the sentence and select the correct correction from the table.
Step 1:
Analyze the sentence structure. The sentence is: "As an actor, Ravi Raj, is superior then any other contemporary actor." The phrase "superior then" is incorrect. The word "superior" is a comparative adjective. When making comparisons, the correct preposition to use after "superior" is "to," not "then." "Then" is used for indicating time or sequence (e.g., "first this, then that").
Step 2:
Evaluate each option. - (A) Error: "an" — Correction: "the"
"As an actor" is correct. "An" is appropriate here because it introduces Ravi Raj's profession in a general sense. Changing it to "the" would imply he is the only actor, which is not the intended meaning. This is not an error. - (B) Error: "is" — Correction: "were"
The subject is "Ravi Raj," which is singular. The verb "is" agrees with the singular subject. Changing it to "were" would be incorrect as "were" is plural or subjunctive, which is not needed here. This is not an error. - (C) Error: "then" — Correction: "to"
This is the correct identification. "Superior to" is the standard comparative construction. "Then" is a common error in such contexts. This fixes the grammatical mistake. - (D) Error: "other" — Correction: "another"
The phrase "any other contemporary actor" is correct when comparing one actor to all others in the same group. Changing it to "another" would be grammatically awkward ("any another" is incorrect). This is not an error.
Step 3:
Conclusion. The only error in the sentence is the misuse of "then" instead of "to" after the comparative adjective "superior."
Final Answer:
(C) then & to