NDA (I) 2018 GAT Q24: In my younger days I could run four miles at a stretch. No

Q: What is the answer to NDA (I) 2018 GAT Q24?

D. Correct — D, 'No error.' Every part is standard English. 'In my younger days' is an idiomatic way of speaking about one's youth, 'could run' is the normal way of stating a general ability held in the past, and 'at a stretch' means without a break.

NDA (I) 2018 General Ability Test · Question 24 of 150

Question text verified against the official NDA question paper.

In my younger days I could run four miles at a stretch. No error.

(a)In my younger days
(b)I could run four miles
(c)at a stretch.
(d)No error.

Answer

Why

Correct — D, 'No error.' Every part is standard English. 'In my younger days' is an idiomatic way of speaking about one's youth, 'could run' is the normal way of stating a general ability held in the past, and 'at a stretch' means without a break.

Why the others are wrong

(a)In my younger days — This is correct; the comparative in 'my younger days' is idiomatic and is understood as younger than I am now.
(b)I could run four miles — This is correct; 'could' is the past form used for an ability a person had over a period of time.
(c)at a stretch. — This is correct; 'at a stretch' is a settled phrase meaning continuously, without a pause.

Concept

'Could' is the ordinary past form for an ability someone possessed generally, while 'was able to' is preferred when the point is that someone managed something on one particular occasion.

Items of this shape are answered by testing each part on its own rather than by hunting for something suspicious. Candidates often distrust 'could' and want 'used to be able to', or distrust the comparative in 'my younger days'; both are good English. The one place where 'could' would be wrong is a single completed achievement — 'he was able to escape from the burning house', not 'he could escape'.

Key facts

'Could' covers past ability in general, while 'was able to' covers one particular success.
'At a stretch' means without interruption, and in another use it means at most, as in 'the room seats ten at a stretch'.
'In my younger days' and 'in my youth' say the same thing.

Study next

Modals of past ability — could, was able to, managed toIdiomatic phrases of duration — at a stretch, on end, at one goTesting each part separately in error-spotting itemsComparatives used without a stated second term

Common traps

Assuming a sentence must contain an error and marking a part at random.
Replacing 'could' with 'was able to' where a general ability is meant.

Asked as an error-spotting item — name the part of the sentence that carries the mistake, or mark 'No error.'

Related PYQs

No directly related past PYQ was found.

Practice

practice — not a real PYQ
Choose the option that fits — After hours of effort, the firemen ______ rescue the child.
- (a)could
- (b)were able to
- (c)can
- (d)could be
Answer(b) were able to — one completed achievement on a particular occasion.
practice — not a real PYQ
In 'He worked for ten hours at a stretch', the phrase 'at a stretch' means
- (a)with frequent breaks
- (b)without a break
- (c)at a slow pace
- (d)with help
Answer(b) without a break — the hours ran on continuously.