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: Replace the underlined part of the sentence with the suitable option, if needed. If the sentence requires no improvement, choose the fourth option.

I have painted a picture yesterday morning.

  1. had painted

  2. painted

  3. have been

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

The phrase 'yesterday morning' indicates a specific time in the past. The simple past tense 'painted' is required, whereas 'have painted' is the present perfect, which cannot be used with specific past time markers.

Multiple choice

Directions: Replace the underlined part of the sentence with the suitable option, if needed. If the sentence requires no improvement, choose the fourth option.

I will deliver this letter by hand; this will be cheaper than posting it.

  1. post

  2. been posted

  3. being posting

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

The sentence is grammatically correct as written. The gerund 'posting' functions correctly as the object of the preposition 'than'.

Multiple choice

Directions: Replace the underlined part of the sentence with the suitable option, if needed. If the sentence requires no improvement, choose the fourth option.

A five year old child is crying in mother's lap.

  1. five-years-old-child

  2. five-year old child

  3. five year-old child

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

When a measurement acts as an adjective before a noun, it must be hyphenated and singular. 'Five-year-old' is the correct form.

Multiple choice

Directions: Replace the underlined part of the sentence with the suitable option, if needed. If the sentence requires no improvement, choose the fourth option.

No sooner he have drunk the coffee, than he began to feel drowsy.

  1. had he

  2. have he been

  3. had been

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

The structure 'No sooner' must be followed by an inversion of the subject and the auxiliary verb. 'No sooner had he' is the correct grammatical construction.

Multiple choice

Directions: Replace the underlined part of the sentence with the suitable option, if needed. If the sentence requires no improvement, choose the fourth option.

I always keep candles in the house nevertheless there is a power cut.

  1. which

  2. but

  3. incase

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

The context implies preparation for a potential event. 'Incase' (or 'in case') is the correct conjunction to express taking precautions against a future possibility.

Multiple choice

Directions: In the given question, a part of the 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).

People helped the flood victims by cash and kind.

  1. for

  2. in

  3. through

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

Explanation for option1: “For” is used to indicate the use of something. Explanation for option2: “in” here refers to helping directly giving cash or something. Explanation for option3: “Through” is used to indicate something with limits.

Multiple choice

Directions: In this question, a sentence/a part of 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).

He is inclined toward gossip when he sits in the company of his friends.

  1. to

  2. for

  3. with

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

Inclined to do something means to tend to do something; to incline toward means to slant or lean in the direction of something or to be in favour of some choice. So, as per the context, 'inclined to' is the correct asnwer.

Multiple choice

Direction: Which of the phrases (1), (2), (3) and (4) given below should replace the phrase given in bold, to make the sentence grammatically meaningful and correct. If no correction is required, mark (5) as the answer.

In any serious investigation, all points of suspicions should check properly.

  1. must check properly

  2. should be checked properly

  3. should properly check

  4. must properly check

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

 Points will not check themselves. Somebody needs to cheek them. So, passive usage as given in (2) is correct.

Multiple choice

Direction: Which of the phrases (1), (2), (3) and (4) given below should replace the phrase given in bold, to make the sentence grammatically meaningful and correct. If no correction is required, mark (5) as the answer.

What most of the people think right cannot be said to be necessary and right?

  1. said to be necessarily

  2. said to be necessarily and

  3. necessarily said to be

  4. said necessary and to be

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

What most of the people think right cannot be ‘said to be necessarily' right.

Multiple choice

Direction: Which of the phrases (1), (2), (3) and (4) given below should replace the phrase given in bold, to make the sentence grammatically meaningful and correct. If no correction is required, mark (5) as the answer.

The circumstances in which he succumbed below pressure, are not known.

  1. succumbed below force

  2. was succumbed below pressure

  3. was succumbing below force

  4. succumbed to pressure

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

 mso-fareast-font-family:Times New Roman;color:black;mso-ansi-language:EN-US; mso-fareast-language:EN-US;mso-bidi-language:AR-SA;mso-bidi-font-weight:bold>You don't succumb below pressure. The correct prepositional usage is 'to' or 'under'.

Multiple choice

Direction: Which of the phrases (1), (2), (3) and (4) given below should replace the phrase given in bold, to make the sentence grammatically meaningful and correct. If no correction is required, mark (5) as the answer.

All human beings are vulnerable to greed and temptations.

  1. are vulnerable for

  2. have vulnerability of

  3. were vulnerable at

  4. have been vulnerable with

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

 'Are' is used with plural subject (human beings). 'To' is used with vulnerable.

Multiple choice

Direction: Which of the phrases (1), (2), (3) and (4) given below should replace the phrase given in bold, to make the sentence grammatically meaningful and correct. If no correction is required, mark (5) as the answer.

How did the burglar got into the bank is a mystery?

  1. How did the burglar get

  2. What did the burglar get

  3. How the burglar got

  4. Why did the burglar get

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

 Error of double usage of past tense. The helping verb 'did' should be followed by the first form of verb.

Multiple choice

Directions: In the following question, a part of the sentence is printed in bold. Choose the correct alternative which will improve the sentence. In case no improvement is needed, your answer is ‘4’.

The best car safety device is a rear-view mirror with a cop on it.

  1. in

  2. at

  3. for

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

The correct preposition is ‘in’ as it indicates the location of a cop in reference to the rearview mirror. ‘On’ indicates the physical position of an object as on the table – on the top of the table. ‘At’ indicates a place.

Multiple choice

Directions: In the following question, a part of the sentence is printed in bold. Choose the correct alternative which will improve the sentence. In case no improvement is needed, your answer is ‘4’.

My brother is lived in Gurgaon.

  1. lives

  2. living

  3. live

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

Here, ‘living’ is the correct option as living here implies spending one's life in a particular way. ‘Lived’ implies used to live at a particular place. ‘Lives’ and ‘live’ are grammatically incorrect with ‘is’.