In the sentence The barking dog wouldn't let anyone in, what grammatical error is present? - briefly
In the sentence "The barking dog wouldn't let anyone in," the word "barking" should be an adjective modifying the noun "dog." However, it is used as a gerund (a verb form ending in -ing), which is incorrect in this context.
In the sentence The barking dog wouldn't let anyone in, what grammatical error is present? - in detail
The sentence "The barking dog wouldn't let anyone in" contains a subtle yet significant grammatical error that relates to subject-verb agreement. In English, the verb must agree with the subject in number—that is, whether the subject is singular or plural.
In this particular case, the subject of the sentence is "The barking dog," which is singular. However, the verb "wouldn't let" implies a contraction of "would not let." The correct form should be "would not let" rather than "wouldn't let," especially when considering the formal and grammatically precise structure of the sentence.
To clarify further:
- "Wouldn't" is a contraction of "would not," which is informal and generally acceptable in spoken or casual written English.
- However, in more formal writing or to adhere strictly to grammatical rules, it is preferable to use the full form "would not."
Thus, the grammatically correct version of the sentence would be: "The barking dog would not let anyone in." This maintains the proper subject-verb agreement and aligns with formal English usage.