NIMCET 2007 — English PYQ

The correct option is (d) are.

Detailed Solution

To determine the grammatical error in the sentence, let's analyze the Subject-Verb Agreement rules:

The Core Rule

When a singular subject is connected to another noun or phrase using words like "along with", "as well as", "together with", or "in addition to", the parenthetical phrase does not change the number of the subject. The verb must agree strictly with the first (main) subject.

Let's break down the given sentence structural parts:

• $$\text{Main Subject}=\text{"The athlete" (Singular)}$$

• $$\text{Parenthetical Phrase}=\text{"along with his coach"}$$

• $$\text{Auxiliary Verb}=\text{"are" (Plural) }\to \text{ Incorrect}$$

Correction

Since the main subject $\text{"The athlete"}$ is singular, it requires a singular auxiliary verb ($\text{"is"}$) instead of the plural auxiliary verb ($\text{"are"}$).

• Incorrect Sentence: The athlete, along with his coach, are going...

• Correct Sentence: The athlete, along with his coach, is going to the Olympic games.

Conclusion

Therefore, the word that needs correction is "are", making option (d) the right answer choice.