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 are given 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 only inhabitants of the village said that they have never known anyone cross the hills in deep snow.

  1. had never known

  2. never knew

  3. had never been known

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

Case of past perfect tense. 'Said' is the past form of 'say', so 'have never known' should be replaced by 'had never known'.

Multiple choice

Directions: Look at the underlined part of the sentence. Below the sentence three possible substitutions are given 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 peasant told the youth that the weather is stormy and the way was long.

  1. was stormy

  2. had been stormy

  3. has been stormy

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

As per the rules of English grammar, if the principal clause of a sentence is in the past tense, the subordinate clause must be in the same tense. Therefore, 'is stormy' should be replaced by 'was stormy', as 'told' is past of 'tell'.

Multiple choice

Directions: Look at the underlined part of the sentence. Below the sentence three possible substitutions are given 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 pickpocket confessed that he had picked the man's pocket.

  1. had been picked

  2. has picked

  3. has been picked

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

Case of past perfect tense. There are two actions in the past. He confessed (simple past); and 'had picked' (action before simple past, i.e. past perfect)

Multiple choice

Directions: Look at the underlined part of the sentence. Below the sentence three possible substitutions are given 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 was going to have meals when they were calling me.

  1. had called

  2. called

  3. were called

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

Case of correct usage. This is a case of 'point of time' versus 'period of time'. We call somebody 'at some point of time', and not 'for some period of time'. So, 'were callling' should be replaced by 'called'.

Multiple choice

Directions: Look at the underlined part of the sentence. Below the sentence three possible substitutions are given 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 (4) as your answer. If you had asked me I would have been helped you with pleasure.

  1. would help

  2. would have helped

  3. had helped

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

Case of past perfect tense. 'Had +  third form of the verb' is followed by 'would have + third form of the verb'. 'Been' isn't required.

Multiple choice

Directions: Look at the underlined part of the sentence. Below the sentence three possible substitutions are given 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. No one could explain how the prisoner was escaped from the prison.

  1. had escaped

  2. has escaped

  3. had been escaped

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

Case of past perfect tense. Usage of modal 'could' demands for 'had escaped' in place of 'was escaped', as 'had escaped' means that something had happened before the other.

Multiple choice

Directions: Look at the underlined part of the sentence. Below the sentence three possible substitutions are given 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 teacher asked the boys whether they have solved the sums.

  1. had solved

  2. were solved

  3. solve

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

Case of past perfect tense. Whenever two actions in the past happen one after the other, we use past perfect tense. 'Asked' (past of 'ask') demands 'had solved' (past of 'have solved').

Multiple choice

Directions: Look at the underlined part of the sentence. Below the sentence three possible substitutions are given 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. He was so tired that he might barely stand.

  1. would

  2. should

  3. could

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

This is a case of ability (in the past) rather than the case of probability. And for past ability we use 'could'.

Multiple choice

Directions: Look at the underlined part of the sentence. Below the sentence three possible substitutions are given 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. Since the doctors couldn't move him to a hospital, he operated upon at home.

  1. has operated upon

  2. was operated upon

  3. had operated upon

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

Case of passive voice. Here, the verb 'operated' needs to be changed with 'verb of being' (was operated).

Multiple choice

Directions: Look at the underlined part of the sentence. Below the sentence three possible substitutions are given 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 sage enjoined his disciples not to blame others for their failures.

  1. enjoined upon

  2. enjoined to

  3. enjoined with

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

Case of idiomatic usage. Verb 'enjoin' when used with preposition 'upon' means 'to order someone or something not to do something'.

Multiple choice

Directions: Look at the underlined part of the sentence. Below the sentencethree possible substitutions are given 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. That politics is a dirty game is now believed by many people.

  1. is now being believed

  2. has now believed

  3. was now being believing

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

Perfectly correct sentence that means that the real colours of the game of politics have now (present tense) been understood.

Multiple choice

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

It was a long time before she completely used to working with old people.

  1. she was completely

  2. she had completely

  3. she is completely

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

Error of sentence formation. If the principal clause is in the past tense, the subordinate clause must also be in the past.

Multiple choice

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

In spite the fact that she had three small children, the judge sent her to prison.

  1. Despite of the fact

  2. In spite of the fact

  3. In spite of

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

Error of sentence formation. 'Inspite' itself has no releveant meaning. 'In spite of' means 'without regard to someone or something; even though another course had been prescribed; ignoring a warning'.

Multiple choice

Directions: Look at the underlined part of the sentence. Below each sentence three possible substitutions are given 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. A grammar rule, unless true, is useless unless it can be understood.

  1. however true

  2. whether true

  3. if true

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

Error of sentence formation. Double usage of negative words (unless) is not allowed. Option 1, best fits the sentence.