Directions: The sentence below is split into four segments. Select the segment containing a grammatical error.

The hikers yearned at a quiet refuge after crossing the rocky trail at dawn.

The correct option containing the grammatical error is: The hikers yearned at a.

Step-by-Step Explanation:

1. Analyze the Sentence Segments:
The complete sentence is: "The hikers yearned at a quiet refuge after crossing the rocky trail at dawn."
Let's examine the prepositional phrase following the verb "yearned" in the first segment: "The hikers yearned at a".

2. Understand the Grammatical Rule:
The verb "yearn" means to have an intense feeling of longing or desire. In standard English grammar, "yearn" requires specific prepositions depending on context:
• Yearn for something (e.g., "yearn for peace", "yearn for a refuge").
• Yearn to do something (e.g., "yearn to travel").
The preposition "at" is grammatically incorrect when indicating the object of one's longing or desire.

3. Sentence Correction:
• Incorrect: The hikers yearned at a quiet refuge...
• Correct: The hikers yearned for a quiet refuge after crossing the rocky trail at dawn.

Thus, the segment "The hikers yearned at a" contains the prepositional error.