One of the parts (A, B, C, D) in the sentence given below contains an ERROR. Which one of the following is INCORRECT?

I requested that he should be given the driving test today instead of tomorrow.

Sentence Error Identification

The question asks to identify the part of the given sentence that contains a grammatical error. The sentence provided is: "I requested that he should be given the driving test today instead of tomorrow." We need to analyze each part to find the incorrect one.

Grammar Rule: Subjunctive Mood with Verbs of Request

When certain verbs that express a command, recommendation, request, suggestion, or demand are used, the clause that follows (introduced by 'that') often takes the subjunctive mood. Verbs like 'request', 'suggest', 'insist', 'demand', 'recommend', 'advise', 'propose', ''order', etc., typically trigger the subjunctive mood.

In the subjunctive mood, the verb takes its base form (bare infinitive) regardless of the subject's number or person. The auxiliary 'should' is usually omitted in such constructions because the idea of necessity or obligation is already conveyed by the main verb (e.g., 'requested').

The common structure for the subjunctive mood after these verbs is:

- Subject + Verb of request/suggestion + that + Subject of subordinate clause + (base form of verb)

For example:

- Incorrect: I suggested that he should go.
- Correct: I suggested that he go.
- Incorrect: They demanded that she should be present.
- Correct: They demanded that she be present.

Analyzing the Incorrect Part: "should be given"

In the given sentence, the main verb is "requested". This verb falls into the category of verbs that trigger the subjunctive mood in the 'that' clause.

The clause following "requested that" is "he should be given the driving test". According to the rule of the subjunctive mood, the auxiliary verb 'should' is redundant and grammatically incorrect in this context. The correct form for the passive voice in the subjunctive mood would be the bare infinitive of 'to be' followed by the past participle: 'be given'.

Therefore, "should be given" is the part with the error. The correct phrasing would be "I requested that he be given the driving test today instead of tomorrow."

Sentence Analysis: Options Breakdown

Let's examine each option provided:

- requested that: This part is grammatically correct and correctly introduces the subordinate clause. The verb "requested" is appropriately used.
- should be given: As explained above, the use of "should" here is superfluous and incorrect due to the subjunctive mood triggered by "requested". The correct form should be "be given". This is the INCORRECT part.
- the driving test: This is a correct noun phrase acting as the object of the verb "given". There is no grammatical error in this part.
- instead of tomorrow: This is a correct prepositional phrase indicating an alternative time. There is no grammatical error in this part.

Corrected Sentence

The grammatically correct sentence would be: "I requested that he be given the driving test today instead of tomorrow."

Based on the analysis, the part "should be given" contains the error.