Read each of the following sentences to find out whether there is/are an error…
2023
Read each of the following sentences to find out whether there is/are an error or errors in any underlined part(s). If you feel that there is no error in a sentence, select ‘None of the above’.
No matter what that I do, I can’t make my father happy.
Answer: A. No matter what that — ConceptThe construction “no matter what + subject + verb” forms a complete concessive subordinate clause and means “regardless of what the subject does.”…
- A.
No matter what that
- B.
I do, I can’t
- C.
make my father happy.
- D.
More than one of the above
- E.
None of the above
Attempted by 5 students.
Show answer & explanation
Correct answer: A
Concept
The construction “no matter what + subject + verb” forms a complete concessive subordinate clause and means “regardless of what the subject does.”
Because “what” already supplies the element required by the clause, a second clause marker such as “that” cannot be inserted before the subject.
Application
In the given sentence, “No matter what” must be followed directly by the subject “I” and the verb “do”. The corrected beginning is “No matter what I do, …”.
Contrast and cross-check
“I do” supplies the subject and verb inside the concessive clause, while “I can’t” begins the main clause.
“make my father happy” follows the causative pattern make + object + adjective complement.
“More than one of the above” would require at least two marked segments to contain errors.
“None of the above” would require every marked segment to be grammatical.
Result
The erroneous segment is “No matter what that”; deleting “that” gives the grammatical sentence “No matter what I do, I can’t make my father happy.”