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: Which of the phrases, 1, 2, 3, and 4 given below should replace the phrase given in bold in the following sentence, to make this sentence grammatically meaningful and correct? If the sentence is correct as it is and no correction is required, mark 5 as the answer. He could not make the foreign trip for want of a valid passport.

  1. because of wanted

  2. for wanted

  3. in want of

  4. because of want of

  5. No correction required
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
E Correct answer
Explanation

'For want of' is a correct and formal English phrase meaning 'because of lacking' or 'due to the absence of'. The sentence is grammatically correct as written and needs no correction. 'For want of a valid passport' clearly means he lacked a valid passport.

Multiple choice

Directions: Which of the phrases, 1, 2, 3, and 4 given below should replace the phrase given in bold in the following sentence, to make this sentence grammatically meaningful and correct? If the sentence is correct as it is and no correction is required, mark 5 as the answer. The objectionable statement of hers which has hurt all her friends

  1. hers has hurt

  2. she has hurted

  3. her that has hurt

  4. hers was hurting

  5. No correction required
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

'Which has hurt' will render the sentence incomplete

Multiple choice

Directions: Which of the phrases, 1, 2, 3, and 4 given below should replace the phrase given in bold in the following sentence, to make this sentence grammatically meaningful and correct? If the sentence is correct as it is and no correction is required, mark 5 as the answer. The speaker felt little uncomfortable when he noticed that all the eyes were cast on him.

  1. had felt little

  2. felt very little

  3. was feeling little

  4. felt a little

  5. No correction required
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
D Correct answer
Explanation

'Little' would mean 'not'. Here the sense conveyed is 'a bit'

Multiple choice

Directions: Which of the phrases, 1, 2, 3, and 4 given below should replace the phrase given in bold in the following sentence, to make this sentence grammatically meaningful and correct? If the sentence is correct as it is and no correction is required, mark 5 as the answer. Do not give any heed to his pleadings.

  1. take any heed

  2. pay any heed

  3. heed

  4. put any heed at

  5. No correction required
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
B Correct answer
Explanation

Pay heed means give heed.

Multiple choice

Directions: Which of the phrases, 1, 2, 3, and 4 given below should replace the phrase given in bold in the following sentence, to make this sentence grammatically meaningful and correct? If the sentence is correct as it is and no correction is required, mark 5 as the answer. The people who suffered at the bomb explosions were given compensation by the government.

  1. the bomb explosions

  2. bomb explosions

  3. because of the bomb explosions

  4. in the bomb explosions

  5. No correction required
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
C Correct answer
Explanation

Bomb explosions is the cause.

Multiple choice

Directions: Which of the phrases, 1, 2, 3, and 4 given below should replace the phrase given in bold in the following sentence, to make this sentence grammatically meaningful and correct? If the sentence is correct as it is and no correction is required, mark 5 as the answer. Junk food affects the health of children with adversity.

  1. adverse

  2. adversely

  3. in adversity

  4. with adversary

  5. No correction required
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
B Correct answer
Explanation

We need to use the adverb 'adversely' to qualify the verb 'affects'.

Multiple choice

Directions: Which of the phrases, 1, 2, 3, and 4 given below should replace the phrase given in bold in the following sentence, to make this sentence grammatically meaningful and correct? If the sentence is correct as it is and no correction is required, mark 5 as the answer. The customer wanted to know that what qualities of rice were available.

  1. (delete phrase)

  2. to know if

  3. to knowing

  4. to know

  5. No correction required
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
D Correct answer
Explanation

'That' is an explanation, 'what' is a question. They can't come together.

Multiple choice

Directions: Which of the phrases, 1, 2, 3, and 4 given below should replace the phrase given in bold in the following sentence, to make this sentence grammatically meaningful and correct? If the sentence is correct as it is and no correction is required, mark 5 as the answer. Awarding the student an extra mark would fetch an admission into the law school.

  1. fetch with

  2. fetch the

  3. fetch him

  4. fetch for him the

  5. No correction required
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
C Correct answer
Explanation

'Fetch' is a transitive verb, to be followed by a noun/pronoun.

Multiple choice

Directions: Which of the phrases, 1, 2, 3, and 4 given below should replace the phrase given in bold in the following sentence, to make this sentence grammatically meaningful and correct? If the sentence is correct as it is and no correction is required, mark 5 as the answer. Students should develop the habit of going to a library to enhance their knowledge.

  1. the habit in

  2. habit in

  3. habitually

  4. habit of

  5. No correction required
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
E Correct answer
Explanation

The sentence is grammatically correct as written. 'Develop the habit of going' is proper construction where 'habit of' is followed by a gerund (going). Removing 'the' would change the meaning to any habit rather than a specific one.

Multiple choice

Directions: Which of the phrases, 1, 2, 3, and 4 given below should replace the phrase given in bold in the following sentence, to make this sentence grammatically meaningful and correct? If the sentence is correct as it is and no correction is required, mark 5 as the answer. If India had not been partitioned in 1947 and Pakistan hived off it, its western frontier would have extended to the Persian Gulf.

  1. hived of it

  2. hived in it

  3. hived at it

  4. hived on it

  5. No correction required
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
E Correct answer
Explanation

'Off' indicates separation

Multiple choice

Directions: Which of the phrases, 1, 2, 3, and 4 given below should replace the phrase given in bold in the following sentence, to make this sentence grammatically meaningful and correct? If the sentence is correct as it is and no correction is required, mark 5 as the answer. We used to talk after the wee hours after dinner on Saturdays

  1. up to the wee hours

  2. since the wee hours

  3. until the wee hours

  4. unto the wee hours

  5. No correction required
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
C Correct answer
Explanation

'After dinner' is already stated

Multiple choice

Directions: Which of the phrases, 1, 2, 3, and 4 given below should replace the phrase given in bold in the following sentence, to make this sentence grammatically meaningful and correct? If the sentence is correct as it is and no correction is required, mark 5 as the answer. He was ordered to leave the office to argue with the manager.

  1. because arguing

  2. for arguing

  3. as arguing

  4. to have argued

  5. No correction required
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
B Correct answer
Explanation

'For' provides the reason.

Multiple choice

Directions: Which of the phrases, 1, 2, 3, and 4 given below should replace the phrase given in bold in the following sentence, to make this sentence grammatically meaningful and correct? If the sentence is correct as it is and no correction is required, mark 5 as the answer. Lindsay wasn't always as kind as that.

  1. so kind as that

  2. as kind as her

  3. that kind as this

  4. so kind as this

  5. No correction required

Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
E Correct answer
Explanation

The sentence is correct as written. 'As kind as that' is a valid comparative construction. The alternatives ('so kind as this/that') are not standard English comparative structures.

Multiple choice

Directions: Which of the phrases, 1, 2, 3, and 4 given below should replace the phrase given in bold in the following sentence, to make this sentence grammatically meaningful and correct? If the sentence is correct as it is and no correction is required, mark 5 as the answer. Did you have been on a holiday recently, Glenn?

  1. Had you

  2. Were you

  3. Have you

  4. Could you have

  5. No correction required
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
C Correct answer
Explanation

'Been' rules out the use of 'did'