Home » Verbal Ability » Spotting Errors

English grammar error-spotting (meaning of ‘‘little’’ vs ‘‘a little’’ with positive prediction): Identify the incorrect segment; pay attention to quantifiers that change meaning: ‘‘With little patience / you will be able to / cross this hurdle / No error.’

Difficulty: Easy

Correct Answer: With little patience

Explanation:


Given data

  • A uses ‘‘little’’ before an uncountable noun (‘‘patience’’).


Concept / Approach
‘‘Little’’ means ‘‘hardly any/insufficient’’, giving a negative sense; ‘‘a little’’ means ‘‘some/enough’’. The positive prediction ‘‘you will be able to …’’ needs the encouraging quantifier ‘‘a little’’.


Correction
‘‘With a little patience, you will be able to cross this hurdle.’’


Common pitfalls

  • Confusing ‘‘little’’ with ‘‘a little’’ and changing the sentence meaning.


Final Answer
With little patience

← Previous Question Next Question→

More Questions from Spotting Errors

Discussion & Comments

No comments yet. Be the first to comment!
Join Discussion