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: Which of the phrases (1), (2) and (3) should replace the underlined phrase to make the sentence grammatically correct? If the sentence is correct as it is, mark (4) as your answer.

He looked as though he had not a decent meal for over a month.

  1. have not a decent

  2. had not have a decent

  3. had not had a decent

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

Taking a meal can also be written as 'having a meal', and for the past we use 'had a meal'. In option 3rd, the first 'had' is used as an auxilary for time referral, and the other 'had' is used as 'having/eating'.

Multiple choice

Directions: Which of the phrases (1), (2) and (3) should replace the underlined phrase to make the sentence grammatically correct? If the sentence is correct as it is, mark (4) as your answer.

Thirty eight years before, a handful of Americans declared April 22, 1970 to be the Earth Day.

  1. Thirty eight years from now

  2. Since thirty eight years

  3. Thirty eight years ago

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

To refer to a specific point of time in the past, we use 'ago'. So, option 3 is the right option.

Multiple choice

Directions: Which of the phrases (1), (2) and (3) should replace the underlined phrase to make the sentence grammatically correct? If the sentence is correct as it is, mark (4) as your answer.

He pressed with his enquiries until at last he learned the reason for their panic.

  1. He pressed at with his enquiries

  2. He pressed on with his enquiries

  3. He pressed after with his enquiries

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

Case of idiomatic usage. The sentence implies that he puts his best to identify the core reason for the panis. 'Pressed on' is the right usage. It means 'to put pressure on someone or something'.

Multiple choice

Directions: Which of the phrases (1), (2) and (3) should replace the underlined phrase to make the sentence grammatically correct? If the sentence is correct as it is, mark (4) as your answer.

My friend is so rich that he is having four apartments in Mumbai, and six in Pune.

  1. has

  2. have

  3. had

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

Conceptual case. 'Is having' shows a verb of action, while 'has' shows a verb of being (here showing possession). Thus option 1.

Multiple choice

Directions: Which of the phrases (1), (2) and (3) should replace the underlined phrase to make the sentence grammatically correct? If the sentence is correct as it is, mark (4) as your answer.

In the olden days, before the discovery of anesthetics, various methods would have used to keep the patient quiet during an operation.

  1. were used

  2. had used

  3. was used

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

The sentence mentions a fact of the past. In such cases, verb of action is changed into verb of being. 'Was/were + third form of the verb is used'. Here the subjects (i.e. methods) is a plural noun, hence, option 1.

Multiple choice

Directions: Which of the phrases (1), (2) and (3) should replace the underlined phrase to make the sentence grammatically correct? If the sentence is correct as it is, mark (4) as your answer.

The spectre that has haunted our country represents both an opportunity and a challenge.

  1. has haunting

  2. had haunting

  3. has been haunting

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

Case of present perfect continuous tense. 'Has and had' take third form of the verb and not the gerund form. Thus, option 1 & 2 eliminated. It being a case of present perfect continuous tense, option 3 is the right choice.

Multiple choice

Directions: Which of the following words/phrases (a), (b) or (c) should replace the underlined phrase to make the sentence grammatically correct? If the sentence is correct as it is, mark (d) as your answer.

They condemned him and offered him no financial assistance, but Abraham Lincoln won the election despite of all their opposition.

  1. despite

  2. in spite

  3. nevertheless

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

Inspite needs to be followed by 'of'. So, option 2 cannot be used. Normally 'nevertheless' is placed in the beginning of the sentence. So, option 3 is ruled out. As option 1 is correct, option 4 is ruled out.

Multiple choice

Directions: Which of the following words/phrases (a), (b) or (c) should replace the underlined phrase to make the sentence grammatically correct? If the sentence is correct as it is, mark (d) as your answer.

A brave and honest man will speak the truth no matter what are the consequences.

  1. what maybe the consequences

  2. what will the consequences be

  3. what the consequences are

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

In an indirect question or a clause following a statement, the subject should precede the verb. Thus, 'what the consequences are' is the correct word order.

Multiple choice

Directions: Which of the following words/ phrases (a), (b) or (c) should replace the underlined phrase to make the sentence grammatically correct? If the sentence is correct as it is, mark (d) as your answer.

I have never seen that object and therefore I do not believe in its existence.

  1. since

  2. as

  3. because

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

The sentence is grammatically correct as written. 'Therefore' is an appropriate conjunctive adverb to connect the two independent clauses.

Multiple choice

Directions: Which of the following words/ phrases (a), (b) or (c) should replace the underlined phrase to make the sentence grammatically correct? If the sentence is correct as it is, mark (d) as your answer.

In the Middle Ages the few books that were produced , all were written by hand.

  1. at all

  2. after all

  3. whole

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

The sentence is grammatically correct. The word 'all' serves as a pronoun referring back to 'the few books' to emphasize that every one of them was written by hand.

Multiple choice

Directions: Which of the following words/ phrases (a), (b) or (c) should replace the underlined phrase to make the sentence grammatically correct? If the sentence is correct as it is, mark (d) as your answer.

When at last he reached the bank, the people told him that he has had won the wager.

  1. had won

  2. has won

  3. has been won

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

The sentence uses past tense ('told'), so the reported action must also be in the past perfect tense ('had won') to indicate an action completed before the time of telling.

Multiple choice

The underlined portion of the following sentence has some errors. Four options are given below the sentence. Choose the correct option to improve the sentence.

In formerly days a teacher was expected to be a man of exceptional knowledge or wisdom; to whose words men would well to attend.

  1. In formerly days a teacher was expected to be an exceptional man of knowledge or wisdom

  2. In days a teacher was formerly expected to be a man of exceptional knowledge or wisdom

  3. In former days a teacher was expected to be an exceptional man of knowledge or wisdom

  4. In former days a teacher was expected to be a man of exceptional knowledge or wisdom

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

 Here, the use of adjective 'former' rectifies the error of using 'formerly'. Adverb qualifies an adjective, a verb and another adverb not a noun.In the original sentence the adverb 'formerly' qualifies the noun 'days' and it is a wrong use. Here, adjective 'former' qualifies the noun 'days'. Adjective is a word that qualifies a noun.    

Multiple choice

The underlined portion of the following sentence has some errors. Four options are given below the sentence. Choose the correct option to improve the sentence.

In the middle age teaching became the exclusively prerogative of the church, with the result that there was little progress, either intellectual or social.

  1. the church's exclusively prerogative, with the result that there was little progress

  2. the church's exclusive prerogative, with the result that there was little progress

  3. the exclusive prerogative of the church, with the result that there was little progress

  4. the prerogative of the church, with the exclusive result that there was little progress

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

 Here, 'exclusive' rectifies the error of using 'exclusively'. Adverb does not qualifies a noun. But in the original sentence the adverb 'exclusively' qualifies the noun 'prerogative' and it is a wrong use. Here, the adjective 'exclusive' qualifies the noun 'prerogative'.Adjective is a word that qualifies a noun.

Multiple choice

The underlined portion of the following sentence has some errors. Four options are given below the sentence. Choose the correct option to improve the sentence.

If Washington had strongly questioned the necessity and ethics of what Assange did, it may found a fair number of buyers for its argument.

  1. of what Assange did, it would have found a fair numbers of buyers for its argument.

  2. of what Assange did, it would have found a fair number of buyers for its argument.

  3. which Assange did, it may found a fair number of buyers for its argument.

  4. which Assange did, it would have found a fair number of buyers for its argument.

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

 Here, 'would have' rectifies the error of using 'may'.The structure 'if....had' is always followed by 'would have'.

Multiple choice

The underlined portion of the following sentence has some errors. Four options are given below the sentence. Choose the correct option to improve the sentence.

While swelling of gums and prolonged pain may be an indicator of leukemia, several sexually transmitted diseases could cause lesions on the tongue.

  1. When swelling of gums and prolonged pain may be an indication of leukemia,

  2. When swelling of gums and prolonged pain may be an indicator of leukemia,

  3. While swelling and prolonged pain of gums may be an indication of leukemia,

  4. When swelling and prolonged pain of gums may be an indicator of leukemia,

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

 'Indication' and 'of gums' rectify the errors. Here, 'indication' refers to the 'symptom of disease'. 'Of' and 'gums'  are properly placed.