Parts of the following sentence are given as options. Identify the part that contains a grammatical error.
Cleaning all the ceiling fans / in the house before Diwali / take my whole family / almost two full days.
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 3
The correct answer is Option (3) → take my whole family
The subject of this sentence is the whole -ing phrase “Cleaning all the ceiling fans in the house”. It names one activity, so it takes a singular verb. The plural word “fans” is only part of the phrase. So “take” is wrong, and it must be takes my whole family.
Option 1: Cleaning all the ceiling fans — No error.
Option 2: in the house before Diwali — No error.
Option 3: take my whole family — Error. “take” should be “takes”.
Option 4: almost two full days — No error.
Corrected: Cleaning all the ceiling fans in the house before Diwali takes my whole family almost two full days.