Which term denotes an error produced when a learner is tired and knows the rule but fails to apply it?

Which term denotes an error produced when a learner is tired and knows the rule but fails to apply it?

• A. Mistake/slip
• B. Global error
• C. Post-systemic error
• D. Multi-word units

Answer: (A)

When someone knows the rule but is tired and ends up applying it incorrectly, the issue is a slip. This is a momentary performance error, not a gap in knowledge. The learner has the rule in mind but a momentary lapse—often due to fatigue or cognitive load—causes the incorrect output. For example, a learner might say “She walk to the store” instead of “She walks to the store” even though they know the third-person singular -s rule; the mistake comes from a slip, not from not knowing the rule. The other terms don’t fit this situation. A global error implies a broader, systematic problem across the entire structure of the sentence, which isn’t about a fleeting lapse. Post-systemic error isn’t a standard label for fatigue-related performance slips, and multi-word units refer to fixed expressions or chunks, not errors due to momentary misapplication of known rules.

When someone knows the rule but is tired and ends up applying it incorrectly, the issue is a slip. This is a momentary performance error, not a gap in knowledge. The learner has the rule in mind but a momentary lapse—often due to fatigue or cognitive load—causes the incorrect output. For example, a learner might say “She walk to the store” instead of “She walks to the store” even though they know the third-person singular -s rule; the mistake comes from a slip, not from not knowing the rule.

The other terms don’t fit this situation. A global error implies a broader, systematic problem across the entire structure of the sentence, which isn’t about a fleeting lapse. Post-systemic error isn’t a standard label for fatigue-related performance slips, and multi-word units refer to fixed expressions or chunks, not errors due to momentary misapplication of known rules.