English Language

Sentence Improvement

821 Questions
All Tense and Time Sequence 181 Verb-Governed Prepositions 145 Lexical Confusables 75 Subject-Verb Agreement 59 Modifiers 48 Determiners and Quantifiers 47 Infinitive vs. Gerund 47 Correlative and Paired Conjunctions 35 Conditional Sentences 30 Pronoun Case and Agreement 24 Redundancy 24 Parallel Structure 20 Question Tags 10 Reported Speech 8

Sentence Improvement Questions

Multiple choice

Directions: Find an appropriate phrase, out of the given options, which best replaces the underlined phrase.

The accident occurred last year at midnight on 12 January.

  1. at 12th January last year at midnight

  2. last year on 12th January on midnight

  3. at midnight on 12th January last year

  4. No improvement needed
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
C Correct answer
Explanation

We need to put the hours, date, month and year in that order. Also, when the date precedes the month, the correct usage is 12th (ordinal) and not 12 (number).

Multiple choice

Directions: Look at the underlined part of the sentence. Below the sentence three possible substitutions for the underlined part are given. If one of the possible substitutions is better than the underlined part, indicate it as your answer. If none of the substitutions improves the sentence, indicate ''No improvement needed'' as your answer.

Newton saw the apple fallen to the ground.

  1. fall

  2. falling

  3. fell

  4. No improvement needed
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

He saw it fall.

Multiple choice

Directions: Find an appropriate phrase, out of the given options, which best replaces the underlined phrase.

Due to your advices I have got myself into trouble.

  1. Due to your advice

  2. For your advices

  3. Because of your advice

  4. No improvement needed
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
C Correct answer
Explanation

There are two errors here. 'Due to' means 'caused by', which cannot be used to begin a statement. Also, the noun 'advice' is used in singular only. On the other hand, there could be many pieces of advice.

Multiple choice

Directions: Look at the underlined part of the sentence. Below the sentence three possible substitutions for the underlined part are given. If one of the possible substitutions is better than the underlined part, indicate it as your answer. If none of the substitutions improves the sentence, indicate ''No improvement needed'' as your answer.

It has been raining during the whole of last week.

  1. rained

  2. was raining

  3. is raining

  4. No improvement needed
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

The event is in the past and there is no continuation suggested. For events in the past, making specific reference to time, we use simple past tense.

Multiple choice

Directions: Look at the underlined part of the sentence. Below the sentence three possible substitutions for the underlined part are given. If one of the possible substitutions is better than the underlined part, indicate it as your answer. If none of the substitutions improves the sentence, indicate ''No improvement needed'' as your answer.

When the bell rung, children ran out of their classrooms shrieking in delight.

  1. was rung

  2. rang

  3. had rung

  4. No improvement
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

The bell is inanimate. It cannot ring on its own. So, 'the bell was rung' (by somebody).

Multiple choice

Directions: Look at the underlined part of the sentence. Below the sentence three possible substitutions for the underlined part are given. If one of the possible substitutions is better than the underlined part, indicate it as your answer. If none of the substitutions improves the sentence, indicate ''No improvement needed'' as your answer.

Fukuda used to cycling around this place daily before he was felled by the accident.

  1. used to cycle

  2. cycled

  3. was cycling

  4. No improvement
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

'Used to', as in the case of other infinitives, is followed by verb in the simple present tense.

Multiple choice

Directions: Look at the underlined part of the sentence. Below the sentence three possible substitutions for the underlined part are given. If one of the possible substitutions is better than the underlined part, indicate it as your answer. If none of the substitutions improves the sentence, indicate (4) as your answer.

The little children were frightened by the old beggar.

  1. frightened of

  2. frightened at

  3. frightened after

  4. No improvement needed
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

Case of idiomatic usage. 'Frightened of' means 'to get scared or afraid'.

Multiple choice

Directions: Look at the underlined part of the sentence. Below the sentence three possible substitutions for the underlined part are given. If one of the possible substitutions is better than the underlined part, indicate it as your answer. If none of the substitutions improves the sentence, indicate (4) as your answer.

A gentle breeze was blown across the meadow.

  1. was blowing

  2. has blown

  3. has been blown

  4. No improvement needed
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

Case of improper sentence formation (active-passive voice).  This is an active sentence, and 'was blown' needs to be replaced by 'was blowing'. Thus, option 1.