Question

Which word in the sentence is wrong? There is **a** little hope; the country **will** get rid of **its** crises. (A) **a** (B) **will** (C) **its** (D) **No error**

Answer 1

(D) No error

Explanation:

The sentence above is grammatically correct.

Answer 2

In my opinion, the sentence would make the most sense as:

There is a little hope that the country will get rid of its crises.

An alternative interpretation of this sentence could come with switching will to the negative form and removing a:

There is little hope; the country will not get rid of its crises.

These are the only two versions of the sentence that make sense to me.

Answer 3

I vote for will being incorrect. Changing it to a more uncertain word such as may will bring about a consistent message of a bit of hope that the country may get rid of its crises.

Explanation:

I'd like to add my two cents to the discussion.

In working a problem like this, the most important thing is to first understand what the sentence is trying to say. In my reading of it, I think there is an attempt to talk about the presence (or lack) of hope that the country will get rid (or not get rid) of crises that are affecting it.

The next thing to keep in mind is that we have a semicolon to deal with that is not allowed to be deleted - there are no asterisks around it. So the first part of the sentence is, in my mind, the most important - it sets the tone for the part of the sentence that comes after the semicolon (which is the additional information supporting the part of the sentence before the semicolon).

And lastly, we're asked about the possible presence of one word that is wrong. So we can't change more than one.

Let's look at its first. Is it correct?

Yes, it is. In talking about crises that are associated with or belong to a country, we need to use a possessive form. "Country" is third-person singular, and so the word to use is, indeed, its. `color(green)root`

Now we can look at the other two words in tandem: a and will. We need to look at these two together because, as it stands, they help each other project a meaning of a. there being hope, b. the country will get rid of its problems.

Let's play with these words see what happens.

Here's the original:

There is a little hope; the country will get rid of its crises.

I have problems with this one - there is the presence of a little hope but then we're certain the country will get rid of its crises... sounds way too certain at the end for what starts out sounding more hopeful at the beginning.

And now compare that to there being no hope (eliminate a):

There is little hope; the country will get rid of its crises.

Doesn't really work - there's little hope, but then we're certain the country will get rid of its crises?

How about we change will to won't:

There is a little hope; the country won't get rid of its crises.

Also doesn't really work - there's a little hope, but then we're certain the country won't get rid of its crises?

And so I think if I was to change one word in this, it'd be will. I think we need a word that is less certain. Let's try changing will to may:

There is a little hope; the country may get rid of its crises.

And that to me expresses a consistent theme - the presence of a bit of hope and the reason being that the country may be able to be rid of its crises.