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: 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 monkey jumped on to his mother's back as she swing through the trees.

  1. swung

  2. was swinging

  3. had swung

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

Error of sentence formation. As per the rules, if the pricipal clause is in the past tense, the subsidiary clause should also be in the past. Therefore, 'jumped' is to be followed by 'swung'.

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.

No sooner had she read the telegram than she fall down fainting.

  1. fell down

  2. had fallen down

  3. has fallen down

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

Case of past perfect tense. In past perfect tense, the latter action takes the second form of the verb. So, 'fall' should be changed to 'fell'.

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.

Scarcely did the game started, when the rain came pouring down.

  1. had the game

  2. the game had

  3. were the game

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

Case of past perfect tense. Whenever two incidents in the past happen in a sequence, we use 'had' with the former one. Moreover, in this sentence 'did' is inappropriate as 'did' is always followed by 'first form of the verb', but here 'started' is used, which is the second form of 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 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 policeman didn't run enough fast to catch the thief.

  1. fast enough

  2. too fast

  3. so fast

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

'Fast enough' shows the capability to do something.

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.

Many high school students are not even understanding the basics of physics and chemistry.

  1. don't even understand

  2. was not even understand

  3. have not even understood

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

Error of sentence formation. In cases like this, where we reveal a general fact of present times, present indefinite tense is used. Moreover, 'verb of being' is preffered to 'the main verb' in such cases.

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.

He has become too much of a nuisance to put with.

  1. put up with

  2. put down with

  3. put off with

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

'Put up with' is an idiom that means 'to bear or suffer patiently; tolerate'.

Multiple choice

Directions: Which of the phrases (1), (2), (3) and (4) given below 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.

Airline companies pay nearly 25 billion dollars for their right of fly over the countries other than their parent country.

  1. their right to fly

  2. their right in flying

  3. their right to flying

  4. there right of flight

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

'Their right to fly' is correct because 'right' is followed by the infinitive 'to' + verb when indicating permission or entitlement. 'Right of fly' is grammatically incorrect - 'of' would need a noun (like 'right of flight'). 'Right to flying' and 'right in flying' don't follow standard English patterns for expressing rights.

Multiple choice

Directions: Which of the phrases (1), (2), (3) and (4) given below 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.

The corruption charges were a huge blow to his reputation and his business suffered to a great extent.

  1. his business suffers to

  2. is business suffered on

  3. his business suffering to

  4. his business suffers on

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

No correction is required because 'his business suffered to a great extent' is grammatically correct. The phrase indicates the business experienced suffering (negative impact) to a significant degree. Changing 'suffered' to 'suffers' would make it present tense, which doesn't match the context of past events.

Multiple choice

Directions: Which of the phrases (1), (2), (3) and (4) given below 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.

The disparity between the earnings of the poor and the rich has widen in the last few decades.

  1. have widen in

  2. has widened on

  3. have widened in

  4. has widened in

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

'Has widened in' is correct because 'has' requires the past participle 'widened' (not 'widen'). The present perfect tense 'has widened' describes a change that started in the past and continues. 'Have widen' uses wrong auxiliary verb and wrong verb form. 'Widened on' uses incorrect preposition - 'in the last few decades' is the standard time expression.

Multiple choice

Directions: Which of the phrases (1), (2), (3) and (4) given below 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.

When he fell down the ditch, he shouted with all his might so that to catch someone's attention.

  1. such that to catch

  2. so as to each

  3. so that to catching

  4. so then to catch

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

Directions: Which of the phrases (1), (2), (3) and (4) given below 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.

Instead of teaching abstracted concepts, the new and improved textbooks tell stories of real people so that the children can identify with the characters.

  1. Inspite of teaching abstracted

  2. Instead of taught abstract

  3. Instead of teaching abstract

  4. Inspite of taught abstract

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

'Instead of teaching abstract' is correct because 'instead of' is followed by the gerund 'teaching'. 'Abstract' should not be 'abstracted' - the adjective form is needed. 'Inspite of taught' and 'Inspite of teaching abstracted' are incorrect because it's 'Inspite' should be 'In spite' (two words) and the verb form remains wrong.

Multiple choice

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

Never the one to mince words when it comes speaking his mind, the captain criticised the hectic schedule of his team.

  1. comes to speaking

  2. comes and speaks

  3. comes to speak

  4. come for speak

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

The phrase 'comes speaking his mind' is grammatically incorrect. The correct structure after 'comes' when introducing a gerund is 'comes to speaking' (but that doesn't fit here). The correct phrase is 'comes to speak his mind' - the infinitive 'to speak' is required after 'comes to'. The idiomatic expression is 'come to speak one's mind' or 'speak one's mind'.

Multiple choice

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

Indians are far more transparent than the Americans.

  1. farther

  2. further more

  3. greater

  4. many more

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

The sentence compares the degree of transparency between Indians and Americans. 'Far more' is grammatically correct as it modifies the adjective 'transparent' to show greater extent. 'Farther' is for physical distance only, 'further more' is misspelled, 'greater' and 'many more' do not work with transparent.

Multiple choice

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

He will not be joining the rat race, which starts around this time every year as the board exams draw a close.

  1. draw to close

  2. drawing a closure

  3. draw to a close

  4. draw a closer

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

The idiomatic expression is 'draw to a close,' meaning to approach an end. The current 'draw a close' is grammatically incorrect because the verb 'draw' needs the preposition 'to' to properly connect with 'a close.' The other options use incorrect forms or misspellings.

Multiple choice

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

Lights will go out around the world with hundreds of people sets to take part in the Earth Hour climate change campaign.

  1. set to take part

  2. set to be part

  3. sets for taking part

  4. set for part

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

With 'hundreds of people' (plural), we need the past participle 'set' not the third person singular verb 'sets.' The correct construction is people are 'set to take part' - meaning they are ready or scheduled to participate in Earth Hour. 'Set for part' is incomplete and 'set to be part' loses the meaning of active participation.