41. Identify the grammatically incorrect word in the following sentence: "Before his death at age 82, comedian Rodney Dangerfield's motto was, 'I don't get no respect.'"
Answer: A
No is the grammatically incorrect word in the sentence.
In the sentence, "I don't get no respect" contains a double negative, which is considered grammatically incorrect in standard English. The correct form would be "I don't get any respect."
A) No
This option is the correct answer as it is the word that contributes to the double negative in the sentence. The phrase "I don't get no respect" uses "no" incorrectly, as it should be replaced with "any" to align with standard grammatical rules.
B) Was
The word "was" is grammatically correct in this context as it appropriately indicates the state of the comedian's motto at the time of his death. There is no error in using "was" in this sentence structure.
C) At
The preposition "at" is used correctly in this sentence to indicate the age of Rodney Dangerfield when he passed away. It does not present any grammatical issues and is appropriate in the context.
D) Before
The word "before" is correctly used to indicate the time frame prior to Dangerfield's death. It serves its purpose in the sentence without any grammatical errors.
Conclusion
The identification of "no" as the grammatically incorrect word is clear due to its role in creating a double negative, which is not acceptable in standard English grammar. All other options—"was," "at," and "before"—are used correctly and do not contribute to any grammatical errors in the sentence. Therefore, "no" is definitively the incorrect choice.