GATE CS 2015 Set 2 Q.10 (GA Q.10): Verbal Ability and Grammar

Out of the following four sentences, select the most suitable sentence with respect to grammar and usage:

Since the report lacked needed information, it was of no use to them.

The report was useless to them because there were no needed information in it.

Since the report did not contain the needed information, it was not real useful to them.

Since the report lacked needed information, it would not had been useful to them.

Official answer and solution

Solution

Examine subject-verb agreement, noun countability, and grammatical mood across the given sentences.

Analysis of each option:

(A) 'Since the report lacked needed information, it was of no use to them.' This sentence has flawless syntax, natural vocabulary, and appropriate conditional reasoning.
(B) 'there were no needed information' is ungrammatical because 'information' is an uncountable (mass) noun and requires the singular verb 'was', not 'were'.
(C) 'not real useful' is ungrammatical; the adverb 'really' is required to modify the adjective 'useful'.
(D) 'would not had been' is ungrammatical; modal auxiliaries such as 'would' must be followed by the base form 'have' (i.e., 'would not have been').

Therefore, sentence (A) is the only fully correct sentence.

Final answer

Common trap

Treating 'information' as a countable plural noun in option B.

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