Question

Which one of the following is grammatically correct?

• A. I could recognise his voice in once.
• B. The family members of the patient had an anxious hour.
• C. We should not inculcate the habit of finding fault with others.
• D. A drowning man catches straw.

Hint:

Proverbs and idioms are "frozen" structures. Any omission of a preposition (like 'at' in 'catches at a straw') or substitution (like 'in' for 'at') makes the sentence incorrect in formal English.

Answer 1

The Correct Option is B

Step 1: Understanding the Concept:
This question evaluates the correct usage of prepositions, idiomatic phrases, and lexical collocations in English sentences.
Step 2: Detailed Explanation:
1. Analysis of (1): The phrase "in once" is incorrect. The correct idiomatic expression to mean "immediately" or "at the first attempt" is "at once".
2. Analysis of (2): This sentence is grammatically sound. "Anxious" is an adjective correctly used to describe the nature of the "hour" (time spent in worry), and the structure is clear.
3. Analysis of (3): "Inculcate" means to instill an idea or habit through persistent instruction. It is generally used for positive traits (e.g., inculcating values). One does not typically "inculcate" a negative habit like "finding fault." A better verb would be "develop" or "acquire".
4. Analysis of (4): This is a famous proverb, but it is missing a preposition. The correct version is "A drowning man catches at a straw". Without "at", the sentence is idiomatically incomplete.
Step 3: Final Answer:
Sentence (2) is the only one that adheres to standard grammatical and idiomatic rules.