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 are given three possible substitutions for the underlined part. 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.

When the bell rung, the swimmers sprang into the water.

  1. was rung

  2. ring

  3. had rung

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

'was rung' is the correct option as the bell has to be rung by someone, which indicates past tense and this is in line with the sentence.

Multiple choice

Directions: Look at the underlined part of the sentence. Below the sentence are given three possible substitutions for the underlined part. 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 manager sent for the clerk, he came at once.

  1. that

  2. who

  3. whom

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

'who' is the correct option as it is refering to its antecedent 'clerk'. 'whom' cannot be used as it is objective type.

Multiple choice

Directions: Look at the underlined part of the sentence. Below the sentence are given three possible substitutions for the underlined part. 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.

By December 2008, I shall be giving him a monthly stipend for ten years.

  1. shall have been giving

  2. should be giving

  3. would be giving

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

 'Shall have been giving' is the correct option because we need to use the future perfect continuous  with the usage of 'for'.

Multiple choice

Directions: Look at the underlined part of the sentence. Below the sentence are given three possible substitutions for the underlined part. 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.

Bribery is one of the charges that have been leveled against him.

  1. has been leveled

  2. is leveled

  3. is being leveled

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

  No improvement is needed in the sentence.

Multiple choice

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

I was reading the novel when the lights suddenly went out.

  1. had been reading

  2. were reading

  3. has been reading

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

No correction is required in the sentence.

Multiple choice

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

There lied my lost keys in the midst of a clutter of small plants.

  1. laid

  2. was laid

  3. lay

  4. No improvement

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

'Lay' is the correct option. It means located or situated somewhere. 

Multiple choice

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

Tom took two wickets before rain interrupted the play.

  1. had taken

  2. has taken

  3. had took

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

'Had taken' is the correct option because the subsequent event is in simple past tense. So, an event preceding that would be in past perfect tense.

Multiple choice

Directions: Look at the underlined part of the sentence. Below the sentence are given three possible substitutions for the underlined part. 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.

Edison used to have sold newspapers before he became a famous inventor.

  1. used to sell

  2. should sell

  3. was selling

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

 'Used to sell' is the correct option as it is a case of simple past tense.

Multiple choice

Directions: Look at the underlined part of the sentence. Below the sentence are given three possible substitutions for the underlined part. 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.

One of the officers who were suspected of treachery was the Major himself.

  1. was suspected

  2. had suspected

  3. suspected

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

'The officers' talked about is a plural entity. Therefore, 'were' is correct. If it were just a single officer, then we must use 'was'.

Multiple choice

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

As he was swinging the axe, it fell from his hands and his toe was cleft in two.

  1. swung

  2. swings

  3. had swung

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

'Swung' is the best option because the action has just happened once and ended there. 'Was swinging' shows continuation.

Multiple choice

Directions: Look at the underlined part of the sentence. Below the sentence are given three possible substitutions for the underlined part. 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.

If you had listened more carefully, you would not make so many mistakes.

  1. would not have made

  2. will not make

  3. should not have made

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

'Would not have made' is the correct option because the event prior to this, i.e. 'had listened more carefully', is in past perfect tense.

Multiple choice

Directions: Look at the underlined part of the sentence. Below the sentence are given three possible substitutions for the underlined part. 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.

I despair of ever reforming my nephew who is a rascal.

  1. despair about

  2. despair at

  3. despair with

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

 No correction is required in the sentence.

Multiple choice

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

By the winter of 2008, we shall be living in this house for twelve years.

  1. would be living

  2. should be living

  3. shall have been living

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

We use the Future Perfect Continuous to show that something will continue up until a particular event or time in the future .Future Perfect Continuous emphasizes a duration of time before something in the future. 'Shall have been living' is the correct option because 'for' is used in the sentence and because of that we need to use future perfect continuous tense.

Multiple choice

Directions: Look at the underlined part of the sentence. Below the sentence are given three possible substitutions for the underlined part. 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 robber waived a pistol and frightened the passengers.

  1. waved

  2. would waive

  3. was waving

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

 'Waived' means that something has been deferred. 'Waved' means movement. Hence, (1) is correct.

Multiple choice

Directions: Look at the underlined part of the sentence. Below the sentence are given three possible substitutions for the underlined part. 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.

You must learn how to deal in different kinds of people.

  1. deal with

  2. deal at

  3. deal on

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

 'Deal with' is the correct option as prepositions 'at, in and on' will be grammatically incorrect with the word 'people'.