Question

In the following sentences spot the errors if any

• A. Take two spoonsful/
• B. of this medicine/
• C. every three hours/
• D. No error

Hint:

To remember this rule: Words ending in "-ful" are singular units. Always add the "-s" to the very end of the word:
- Correct: spoonfuls, handfuls, cupfuls.
- Incorrect: spoonsful, handsful, cupsful.

Answer 1

The Correct Option is A

Step 1: Understanding the Concept:
This question tests grammar rules regarding the pluralization of compound nouns.
Nouns that end in "-ful" (such as spoonful, cupful, handful) are pluralized by adding "-s" at the end of the entire word, not by pluralizing the first part.

Step 2: Detailed Explanation:
Let us analyze the grammar rules for pluralizing compound words:
- For compound nouns made of a noun and a preposition or modifier (e.g., "passer-by", "mother-in-law"), we pluralize the principal noun: "passers-by", "mothers-in-law".
- However, words ending in "-ful" are treated as single nouns representing a unit of measure.
- The correct plural form of "spoonful" is "spoonfuls".
- Using "spoonsful" is grammatically incorrect because it incorrectly treats "spoon" as the principal noun being pluralized separately from the suffix "-ful."
Let us review the parts of the sentence:
- Part (A): "Take two spoonsful/" contains the grammatical error. It should be "Take two spoonfuls/".
- Part (B): "of this medicine/" is grammatically correct.
- Part (C): "every three hours/" is grammatically correct.
- Part (D): "No error" is incorrect because an error exists in Part (A).

Step 3: Final Answer:
The correct option is (A).