Identify the error in the following sentence.
He was not able to concentrate because of the continual music being played next door.
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 2
The correct answer is Option (2) → because of the continual music
Continual and continuous:
- Continual means happening again and again, with breaks in between: continual interruptions, continual complaints.
- Continuous means going on without any break: continuous rain, a continuous noise.
- Music "being played next door" that kept a person from concentrating goes on without stopping, so the adjective should be "continuous": "because of the continuous music".
Example: The continuous hum of the machines gave him a headache.
Option 1: He was not able to concentrate — No error.
Option 2: because of the continual music — Error. "Continual" should be "continuous", as explained above.
Option 3: being played next door — No error. The present participle in the passive, "being played", correctly describes the music.
Corrected: He was not able to concentrate because of the continuous music being played next door.