Instructions: In each of these questions, each sentence has four words or phrases in braces marked A, B, C and D. Choose one word or phrase that must be changed for the sentence to be correct.

Alexander Calder, who was {originally} (A) interested {in} (B) mechanical engineering {later} (C) became {a sculpture}. (D)

Question

Identify the part of the sentence that contains an error:
He did not knew that the train had already left.

Answer 1

Another way to solve this is to test each bracketed word by asking, "does swapping this word change the sentence's meaning to something nonsensical?"

Try each part as if it were the answer and see which produces an absurd or ungrammatical sentence when examined closely. A, "originally," B, "in," and C, "later" are all functional connector or modifier words, none of them create a logical inconsistency if you examine the sentence's meaning around them.
Now examine D, "a sculpture," literally: a sculpture is a carved or shaped object, a statue, made typically of stone, metal or wood. The sentence claims a PERSON, Alexander Calder, became this object, "Alexander Calder... became a sculpture." Taken literally, that would mean the man physically turned into an artwork, which is clearly not the intended meaning.
The intended meaning is that Calder took up sculpture as a profession, meaning he became a sculptor, the agent noun. Replacing "a sculpture" with "a sculptor" resolves the absurdity completely.

This "does it make literal sense" test isolates D as the flawed phrase, confirming option D as the correct answer, the same conclusion reached by checking word forms directly.

Let's summarize:

When a sentence claims a person "became" a noun, check if that noun should be a person-noun (an agent noun ending in -or/-er) rather than an object-noun.
Reading literally and asking if the sentence makes real-world sense is a fast way to catch this vocabulary trap.

This kind of confusable-word question rewards a careful second look rather than a quick grammar scan alone.

Answer 2

Another way to solve this is to test each bracketed word by asking, "does swapping this word change the sentence's meaning to something nonsensical?"

Try each part as if it were the answer and see which produces an absurd or ungrammatical sentence when examined closely. A, "originally," B, "in," and C, "later" are all functional connector or modifier words, none of them create a logical inconsistency if you examine the sentence's meaning around them.
Now examine D, "a sculpture," literally: a sculpture is a carved or shaped object, a statue, made typically of stone, metal or wood. The sentence claims a PERSON, Alexander Calder, became this object, "Alexander Calder... became a sculpture." Taken literally, that would mean the man physically turned into an artwork, which is clearly not the intended meaning.
The intended meaning is that Calder took up sculpture as a profession, meaning he became a sculptor, the agent noun. Replacing "a sculpture" with "a sculptor" resolves the absurdity completely.

This "does it make literal sense" test isolates D as the flawed phrase, confirming option D as the correct answer, the same conclusion reached by checking word forms directly.

Let's summarize:

When a sentence claims a person "became" a noun, check if that noun should be a person-noun (an agent noun ending in -or/-er) rather than an object-noun.
Reading literally and asking if the sentence makes real-world sense is a fast way to catch this vocabulary trap.

This kind of confusable-word question rewards a careful second look rather than a quick grammar scan alone.

Show Hint

The Correct Option is D

Solution and Explanation

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