Pick the incorrect part in the given sentence.
Watching the pigeons from the balcony, / little Chintu wishes he can fly / as freely as they do / over the rooftops of Old Delhi.
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 2
The correct answer is Option (2) → little Chintu wishes he can fly
The given sentence says “wishes he can fly”. This is wrong. When we wish for something that is not true now, the verb after “wish” moves one step back into the past. So “can” becomes “could”. Chintu cannot fly, so the right form is wishes he could fly.
Option 1: Watching the pigeons from the balcony, — No error.
Option 2: little Chintu wishes he can fly — Error. “wishes he can fly” should be “wishes he could fly”.
Option 3: as freely as they do — No error. “Do” stands for “fly” here, so the part means “as freely as the pigeons fly”.
Option 4: over the rooftops of Old Delhi — No error.
Corrected: Watching the pigeons from the balcony, little Chintu wishes he could fly as freely as they do over the rooftops of Old Delhi.