Which term describes an error in sentence structure?

Which term describes an error in sentence structure?

• A. Semantic error
• B. Discourse error
• C. Syntactic error
• D. Pragmatic error

Answer: (C)

This is about errors in how sentences are put together, focusing on syntax—the rules that govern how words and phrases are arranged. A syntactic error happens when that arrangement breaks grammar, making a sentence ungrammatical or awkward. For example, a subject-verb mismatch like “The dogs runs” shows a syntactic problem because the verb form doesn’t agree with the plural subject. Another common syntactic issue is a misplaced modifier, such as writing something like “Running quickly, the runner finished the race” in a way that makes it seem like the modifier doesn’t attach to the correct noun; repositioning it to “Running quickly, the runner finished the race” clarifies who is doing the running. In short, syntactic errors are errors of form and order in a sentence. If meaning is off, that’s a semantic issue; if the language is fine but inappropriate for the context, that’s pragmatic; if the ideas don’t flow smoothly across sentences, that’s a discourse issue. The correct term for an error in sentence structure is syntactic error.

This is about errors in how sentences are put together, focusing on syntax—the rules that govern how words and phrases are arranged. A syntactic error happens when that arrangement breaks grammar, making a sentence ungrammatical or awkward. For example, a subject-verb mismatch like “The dogs runs” shows a syntactic problem because the verb form doesn’t agree with the plural subject. Another common syntactic issue is a misplaced modifier, such as writing something like “Running quickly, the runner finished the race” in a way that makes it seem like the modifier doesn’t attach to the correct noun; repositioning it to “Running quickly, the runner finished the race” clarifies who is doing the running. In short, syntactic errors are errors of form and order in a sentence. If meaning is off, that’s a semantic issue; if the language is fine but inappropriate for the context, that’s pragmatic; if the ideas don’t flow smoothly across sentences, that’s a discourse issue. The correct term for an error in sentence structure is syntactic error.