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: In the question, a part of sentence is printed in italics. Below the sentence, some options are given which can substitute the italicized part of the sentence. Find the option which can correctly substitute that part of the sentence. If the sentence is correct as it is, the answer is 'No improvement'.

He insisted on he was innocent.

  1. insisted that

  2. insisted on that

  3. insists that

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

The phrase 'insisted on' is incorrect when followed by a full clause. We use 'insisted that' + clause when stating what someone maintains to be true. Option A 'insisted that he was innocent' is grammatically correct. 'Insists that' changes the tense unnecessarily. 'Insisted on' would need to be followed by a noun or gerund, not a clause.

Multiple choice

Directions: Which of the phrases (1), (2), (3) and (4) given below the sentence should replace the phrase printed in bold in the sentence to make it grammatically correct? If the sentence is correct as it is given and ‘No correction is required’, mark (5) as the answer.

In the hour of need, even a drop in the sea is a big respite.

  1. a feather in the cap

  2. a fly in the sea

  3. a drop in the ocean

  4. a fly in the ocean

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

The phrase, a drop in the ocean refers to an amount very small to what is required.

Multiple choice

Directions: Which of the phrases (1), (2), (3) and (4) given below the sentence should replace the phrase printed in bold in the sentence to make it grammatically correct? If the sentence is correct as it is given and ‘No correction is required’, mark (5) as the answer.

After the long illness, he was all fingers and thumbs.

  1. all a bag of bones

  2. all skinny and skeletal

  3. all lanky and bony

  4. all skin and bones

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

The phrase "all skin and bones" refers to becoming very thin. After an illness, a person becomes weak and thin. So, this is the correct option. The phrase "all fingers and thumbs" means to be awkward with your hands and keep making mistakes. Other options are not correct phrases.  

Multiple choice

Directions: Which of the phrases (1), (2), (3) and (4) given below the sentence should replace the phrase printed in bold in the sentence to make it grammatically correct? If the sentence is correct as it is given and ‘No correction is required’, mark (5) as the answer.

After the new Government came into being, the economy of the country hit a bad path.

  1. a bad patch

  2. a bad road

  3. a bad phase

  4. a bad end

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

The phrase, a bad patch refers to a difficult or troubled time. A bad road or bad path is a road which is not smooth. A bad phase is a bad period in life and bad end means to die an unfotunate death.

Multiple choice

Directions: Which of the phrases (1), (2), (3) and (4) given below the sentence should replace the phrase printed in bold in the sentence to make it grammatically correct? If the sentence is correct as it is given and ‘No correction is required’, mark (5) as the answer.

In the party, he was behaving as if he was a fish out of water.

  1. a fish with tail

  2. a bad fish

  3. a fish gone bad

  4. a fish in the garb

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

The phrase, a fish out of water refers to someone in an unsuitable situation.

Multiple choice

Directions: Which of the phrases (1), (2), (3) and (4) given below the sentence should replace the phrase printed in bold in the sentence to make it grammatically correct? If the sentence is correct as it is given and ‘No correction is required’, mark (5) as the answer.

Before her wedding ceremony, she was at sixes and sevens.

  1. getting the jitters

  2. hunky and dory

  3. at P's and Q's

  4. ruling the roost

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

The phrase "getting the jitters" refers to being very nervous and anxious. 'At sixes and sevens' means haphazardly placed. Third option is mind your P's and Q's, i.e. socially correct behaviour. Option 2 means satisfactory or fine. Option 4 means to be in charge. So, as per the context, option 1 is the correct answer.

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 them, i.e. (1), (2) or (3), is better than the underlined part, indicate that as your answer. If none of the substitutions improves the sentence, indicate (4), i.e. "No improvement" as your answer.

Having finish the homework, the children began to play.

  1. will finish

  2. should have finished

  3. finished

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

(3) is the correct answer because “having” takes the past participle form of a verb.

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 them, i.e. (1), (2) or (3), is better than the underlined part, indicate that as your answer. If none of the substitutions improves the sentence, indicate (4), i.e. "No improvement" as your answer.

On the death of Mahatma Gandhi, all but a few people wept.

  1. the few

  2. only

  3. few

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

(4) is the correct answer because the given sentence is correct.

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 them, i.e. (1), (2) or (3), is better than the underlined part, indicate that as your answer. If none of the substitutions improves the sentence, indicate (4), i.e. "No improvement" as your answer.

A renowned poet and singer are coming at the concert.

  1. were

  2. is

  3. have to be

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

(2) is the correct because “A renowned poet and singer” represents a single person.

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 them, i.e. (1), (2) or (3), is better than the underlined part, indicate that as your answer. If none of the substitutions improves the sentence, indicate (4), i.e. "No improvement" as your answer.

Here are two books; choose any.

  1. neither

  2. either

  3. or

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

(2) is the correct answer because if there are only two options, “either” is used for positive sentence and “neither” is used for negative sentence.

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 them, i.e. (1), (2) or (3), is better than the underlined part, indicate that as your answer. If none of the substitutions improves the sentence, indicate (4), i.e. "No improvement" as your answer.

If the gardener had come, the plants would have watered.

  1. would have been

  2. would have be

  3. would have being

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

(1) is the correct answer as “been” is used with “would have”.

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 them, i.e. (1), (2) or (3), is better than the underlined part, indicate that as your answer. If none of the substitutions improves the sentence, indicate (4), i.e. "No improvement" as your answer.

If the maid had come, she will have cooked the food.

  1. would have

  2. can have

  3. shall have

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

(1) is the correct answer as the sentence is in the past tense and “would have” is used in the past tense.

Multiple choice

Directions: In this question, a sentence/a part of a sentence is underlined to which alternatives (1), (2) and (3) are given below which may improve the sentence. Choose the correct alternative. If no improvement is needed, your answer is (4).

His suggestions are wide accepted as he is very knowledgeable.

  1. widely acceptance

  2. are widely accepted

  3. have been wide accepted

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

Here, widely is an adverb modifying the verb accepted.

Multiple choice

Directions: In this question, a sentence/a part of a sentence is underlined to which alternatives (1), (2) and (3) are given below which may improve the sentence. Choose the correct alternative. If no improvement is needed, your answer is (4).

The easiest of the thing to do is to ask the children to tell their names.

  1. of all the things done

  2. of the things to do

  3. among the things did

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

The tense is present tense, so only option (2) is correct. 'Thing' has to be in plural. "... of all the things to do, the easiest is..."

Multiple choice

Directions: In this question, a sentence/a part of a sentence is underlined to which alternatives (1), (2) and (3) are given below which may improve the sentence. Choose the correct alternative. If no improvement is needed, your answer is (4).

Many people find it difficult to make both hands meet.

  1. both accounts meet

  2. both hands to mouths meet

  3. both ends meet

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

(3) is the correct answer because it means “difficult to meet the expenditure”.