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 the sentence grammatically meaningful and correct? If the sentence is correct as it is and 'No correction is required', mark (5) as the answer.

Having went to the market, he bought a book on the Ramayana.

  1. Having been to the market,

  2. Since he went to the market,

  3. Since he had gone to the market

  4. Having gone to the market,

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

Corrects the error of tense. 'Have' is followed by third form of the verb.

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 the sentence grammatically meaningful and correct? If the sentence is correct as it is and ‘No correction is required’, mark (5) as the answer.

But it hardly can ignore the long term impact of his rebellion and the message it sends to the party workers.

  1. But it can ignore hardly the long term impact of

  2. But it can hardly ignore the long term impact of

  3. But it cannot ignore the long term impact of

  4. But hardly can it ignore long term impact of

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

Correct the error of placing of adverb of degree. Adverb of degree comes before the word it modifies. Hence, option 2 is correct.

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 the sentence grammatically meaningful and correct? If the sentence is correct as it is and ‘No correction is required’, mark (5) as the answer.

Beside his general unenthusiastic demeanour, he is also known to absent himself on small pretexts.

  1. Beside him general unenthusiastic demeanour,

  2. Beside his show of general unenthusiastic demeanour,

  3. Besides his general unenthusiastic demeanour,

  4. Besides his showing of general unenthusiastic demeanour,

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

Option (3) corrects the error of adverb; the preposition ‘beside’ has to be replaced with the adverb ‘besides’.

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 the sentence grammatically meaningful and correct? If the sentence is correct as it is and ‘No correction is required’, mark (5) as the answer.

All our plans ought to give priority for the problems of the common man.

  1. should give priority for the problems

  2. ought to give priority in the problems

  3. ought to give priority to the problems

  4. ought to have given priority for the problems

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

Option 3 corrects the error of preposition. Correct preposition should be 'to'.

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 the sentence grammatically meaningful and correct? If the sentence is correct as it is and ‘No correction is required’, mark (5) as the answer.

Large numbers of those who are educated are really not able to make any use of their education.

  1. Large numbers of

  2. The large number of those who are

  3. A large number of those who are

  4. Large numbers of whom are

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

Option (3) corrects the error of plural subject.

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 the sentence grammatically meaningful and correct? If the sentence is correct as it is and 'No correction is required', mark (5) as the answer.

The rules governing the working of the council are clearly laid.

  1. are being clearly laid

  2. are clearly laid down

  3. are laid clearly

  4. have been laid clearly

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

Rules are laid down.

Multiple choice

Directions: In the given sentence, a word or phrase has been underlined. Below each sentence four choices (1), (2), (3), (4) are given, pick out the one which can substitute the underlined word/phrase correctly, without changing the meaning of the sentence. If the sentence is correct as it is and no correction is required, give (5) as your answer. Had I realized the gravity of the situation, I would have been more careful.

  1. Had I been realized

  2. If I would have realized

  3. When I realized

  4. Had I had realized

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

Grammatically correct.

Multiple choice

Directions: In the given sentence, a word or phrase has been underlined. Below each sentence four choices (1), (2), (3), (4) are given, pick out the one which can substitute the underlined word/phrase correctly, without changing the meaning of the sentence. If the sentence is correct as it is and no correction is required, give (5) as your answer. By such time you finish that chapter, I will write a letter.

  1. The time when

  2. By the time

  3. By that time

  4. The time

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

'By the time' means the specific time limit or point of time. Here, it conveys the meaning of the sentence.

Multiple choice

Directions: In the given sentence, a word or phrase has been underlined. Below each sentence four choices (1), (2), (3), (4) are given, pick out the one which can substitute the underlined word/phrase correctly, without changing the meaning of the sentence. If the sentence is correct as it is and no correction is required, give (5) as your answer. She cooks, washes dishes, does her homework and then relaxing.

  1. relaxing then

  2. then is relaxing

  3. relaxing is then

  4. then relaxes

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

Error of parallelism. Simple forms of the verbs, like 'cooks', 'washes', 'does' need to be followed by another verb i.e. 'relaxes', in place of 'relaxing'.

Multiple choice

Directions: In the given sentence, a word or phrase has been underlined. Below each sentence four choices (1), (2), (3), (4) are given, pick out the one which can substitute the underlined word/phrase correctly, without changing the meaning of the sentence. If the sentence is correct as it is and no correction is required, give (5) as your answer. Nowadays, anyone interested in learning a new language can easily do so if you have access to the internet. No error

  1. they have access

  2. access can be available

  3. he or she has access

  4. one of them have access

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

Error of subject-verb agreement. The main subject here is 'anyone'. So, the subsidiary subject has to be 'he/she'. And we know singular third person (he/she) takes singular auxilary verb. Thus, 'has' is required in place of 'have'.

Multiple choice

Directions: In the given sentence, a word or phrase has been underlined. Below each sentence four choices (1), (2), (3), (4) are given, pick out the one which can substitute the underlined word/phrase correctly, without changing the meaning of the sentence. If the sentence is correct as it is and no correction is required, give (5) as your answer. The chemist hadn' t hardly any of those kinds of medicines.

  1. had hardly any of those kinds

  2. had hardly not any of those kinds

  3. had scarcely any of those kind

  4. had hardly any of those kind

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

Error of sentence formation. Double usage of negative words is incorrect. 'Hardly' and 'not' both are negative words.

Multiple choice

Directions: Look at the underlined part of the given sentence. Below the sentence, three possible substitutions are given for the underlined part. Choose the one that is better than the underlined part. If none of the substitutions improves the sentence, then choose the last option.

Opposite parties are questioning the constitutional validity of the President's wish to contest for a third term.

  1. Competitive parties

  2. Counteraction parties

  3. Opposition parties

  4. No improvement

  5. .
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
C Correct answer
Explanation

In politics, the opposition comprises of one or more political parties or other organised groups that are opposed to the government currently in control. In this context, this is a sentence related to a political situation and thus, this option is the correct answer.

Multiple choice

Directions: Look at the underlined part of the given sentence. Below the sentence, three possible substitutions are given for the underlined part. Choose the one that is better than the underlined part. If none of the substitutions improves the sentence, then choose the last option.

The police told the protesters to back into.

  1. back off

  2. back out

  3. back up

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

This is the correct phrase as to 'back off' means to retreat from one’s position. In this context, the sentence indicates that the police asked the protestors to retreat.

Multiple choice

Directions: Look at the underlined part of the given sentence. Below the sentence, three possible substitutions are given for the underlined part. Choose the one that is better than the underlined part. If none of the substitutions improves the sentence, then choose the last option.

If you don't go after those termites, your house will be destroyed.

  1. go across

  2. go along

  3. go ahead

  4. No improvement

  5. .
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
D Correct answer
Explanation

To pursue something that is a problem or a menace is to get after it. This is correct in this context, as this indicates pursuing the problem of termites. Thus, this sentence needs no improvement.  

Multiple choice

Directions: Look at the underlined part of the given sentence. Below the sentence, three possible substitutions are given for the underlined part. Choose the one that is better than the underlined part. If none of the substitutions improves the sentence, then choose the last option.

She sat down aboard her children and looked at them lovingly.

  1. upon

  2. over

  3. beside

  4. No improvement

  5. .
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
C Correct answer
Explanation

The preposition ‘beside’ indicates at the side of something. This is correct in this context as it indicates that ‘she sat down at her children’s side’.