Sentence Improvement

Description: The paper on English language often includes questions that require students to improve the quality of a sentence. Here is a collection of such questions.
Number of Questions: 25
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Tags: English grammar vocabulary learn English MBA Bank PO Sentence Formation Modifier Use of The Article Articles and Determiners The Simple Future Tense Tenses Pronoun Usage
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Directions: Look at the underlined part of the sentence. Three possible substitutions for the underlined part are given below. Select the best substitution for the underlined part and indicate it as your answer. If no substitution is required indicate (4) as your answer.

She was driving her car at eighty miles each hour.

  1. an hour

  2. every hour

  3. hourly

  4. No improvement needed


Correct Option: A
Explanation:

“An hour” is the correct usage as “an” is used in front of a vowel. Moreover, as per standard language, we precede a unit by article 'a' or 'an'.

Directions: Look at the underlined part of the sentence. Three possible substitutions for the underlined part are given below. Select the best substitution for the underlined part and indicate it as your answer. If no substitution is required indicate (4) as your answer.

I hope it will not rain when they have started their journey.

  1. they will have started their journey

  2. they will start their journey

  3. they start their journey

  4. No improvement needed


Correct Option: C
Explanation:

Case of improper sentence formation. Simple future tense uses first form of the verb after auxilary 'will/shall'.

Directions: Look at the underlined part of the sentence. Three possible substitutions for the underlined part are given below. Select the best substitution for the underlined part and indicate it as your answer. If no substitution is required indicate (4) as your answer.

The train will leave before we have reached the station.

  1. we reach the station

  2. we had reached the station

  3. we would reach the station

  4. No improvement needed


Correct Option: A
Explanation:

Case of sentence formation. Simple present tense doesn't use any other auxilary after 'will/shall'. Thus, “the train will leave …before we reach”.

Directions: Look at the underlined part of the sentence. Three possible substitutions for the underlined part are given below. Select the best substitution for the underlined part and indicate it as your answer. If no substitution is required indicate (4) as your answer.

Inflation affects nearly everyone.

  1. everyone nearly

  2. nearly all

  3. nearly each one

  4. No improvement needed


Correct Option: D
Explanation:

'Nearly everyone' means almost everyone. So, no error.

Directions: Look at the underlined part of the sentence. Three possible substitutions for the underlined part are given below. Select the best substitution for the underlined part and indicate it as your answer. If no substitution is required indicate (4) as your answer.

If you asked them, they would have solved your problem.

  1. had asked

  2. would asked

  3. were asking

  4. No improvement needed


Correct Option: A
Explanation:

If the subordinate clause is in past perfect, then the principal clause should also be in past perfect. Thus, 'had asked' is the right choice.

Directions: Look at the underlined part of the sentence. Three possible substitutions for the underlined part are given below. Select the best substitution for the underlined part and indicate it as your answer. If no substitution is required indicate (4) as your answer.

Can't you never understand what has been said.

  1. ever understand

  2. rather understand

  3. at all understand

  4. No improvement needed


Correct Option: A
Explanation:

Case of sentence formation. Double usage negative words is incorrect. Thus, can't you ever”. 'Never' is a negative word.

Directions: Look at the underlined part of the sentence. Three possible substitutions for the underlined part are given below. Select the best substitution for the underlined part and indicate it as your answer. If no substitution is required indicate (4) as your answer.

This is the sixth time you asked the same question.

  1. ask the same question

  2. have asked the same question

  3. were asking the same question

  4. No improvement needed


Correct Option: B
Explanation:

This is a case of present perfect tense. So, option 2 is the correct answer.

Directions: Look at the underlined part of the sentence. Three possible substitutions for the underlined part are given below. Select the best substitution for the underlined part and indicate it as your answer. If no substitution is required indicate (4) as your answer.

Suddenly she became conscious regarding the presence of a stranger in the room.

  1. about

  2. of

  3. over

  4. No improvement needed


Correct Option: B
Explanation:

Case of prepositional phrase. Correct phrase is - “conscious of” i.e. 'to become aware of something'.

Directions: Look at the underlined part of the sentence. Three possible substitutions for the underlined part are given below. Select the best substitution for the underlined part and indicate it as your answer. If no substitution is required indicate (4) as your answer.

Jane's boyfriend walked her.

  1. walked out on her

  2. walked out her

  3. walked on her

  4. No improvement needed


Correct Option: A
Explanation:

The correct idiomatic phrase-'walked out on her' which refers to “leave somebody angrily”.

Directions: Look at the underlined part of the sentence. Three possible substitutions for the underlined part are given below. Select the best substitution for the underlined part and indicate it as your answer. If no substitution is required indicate (4) as your answer.

No football team can' t win no championship without defenders.

  1. can' t win a championship

  2. can win a championship

  3. can' t win championship

  4. No improvement needed


Correct Option: B
Explanation:

Double negative can't be used in one sentence. Thus, option 2.

Directions: Look at the underlined part of the sentence. Three possible substitutions for the underlined part are given below. Select the best substitution for the underlined part and indicate it as your answer. If no substitution is required indicate (1) as your answer as it contains the original statement..

Having understood that there is a vacancy of an assistant in the firm, an application was submitted by me.

  1. an application was submitted by me

  2. an application by me was submitted

  3. I submitted an application

  4. an application can be submitted by me

  5. an application has been submitted by myself


Correct Option: C
Explanation:

”Having understood...thus I submitted''. Prefer active voice to passive voice. Moreover, subjective form (I) should be preferred to objective form (me).

Directions: Look at the underlined part of the sentence. Three possible substitutions for the underlined part are given below. Select the best substitution for the underlined part and indicate it as your answer. If no substitution is required indicate (4) as your answer.

The Turks captured Constantinople in 1453 and that was the end of the Byzantine Empire.

  1. have captured

  2. had captured

  3. captures

  4. No improvement needed


Correct Option: D
Explanation:

Simple past tense uses second form of the verb, that too without any auxilary verb. So, no error.

Directions: Look at the underlined part of the sentence. Three possible substitutions for the underlined part are given below. Select the best substitution for the underlined part and indicate it as your answer. If no substitution is required indicate (4) as your answer.

How many players are there in a baseball team?

  1. there are in a

  2. is there in a

  3. was there

  4. No improvement needed


Correct Option: D
Explanation:

No error

Directions: Look at the underlined part of the sentence. Three possible substitutions for the underlined part are given below. Select the best substitution for the underlined part and indicate it as your answer. If no substitution is required indicate (4) as your answer.

She is working since morning.

  1. was working

  2. has been working

  3. works

  4. No improvement needed


Correct Option: B
Explanation:

Case of usage of verb form. Present perfect continuous tense, as the work has been taking place from a specific point in the past. Thus, “has been working”.

Directions: Look at the underlined part of the sentence. Three possible substitutions for the underlined part are given below. Select the best substitution for the underlined part and indicate it as your answer. If no substitution is required indicate (4) as your answer.

Be sure to contact with as many teachers as possible.

  1. contact

  2. contact on

  3. contact to

  4. No improvement needed


Correct Option: A
Explanation:

Case of phrasal preposition. Correct word phrase “contact as many as”.

Directions: Look at the underlined part of the sentence. Three possible substitutions for the underlined part are given below. Select the best substitution for the underlined part and indicate it as your answer. If no substitution is required indicate (4) as your answer.

He asked me where was I going.

  1. am I going

  2. I was going

  3. were I going

  4. No improvement needed


Correct Option: B
Explanation:

It is not an interrogative sentence. Thus, option 2.

Directions: Look at the underlined part of the sentence. Three possible substitutions for the underlined part are given below. Select the best substitution for the underlined part and indicate it as your answer. If no substitution is required indicate (4) as your answer.

Although it was raining for days, the cricket pitch was in perfect condition.

  1. it had been raining

  2. it is raining

  3. it had raining

  4. No improvement needed


Correct Option: A
Explanation:

As the rain had continued for some time in the past, so to show that continuity we should use “past perfect continuous”. Thus, option 1.

Directions: Look at the underlined part of the sentence. Three possible substitutions for the underlined part are given below. Select the best substitution for the underlined part and indicate it as your answer. If no substitution is required indicate (4) as your answer.

Driving down the road when a deer leapt out in front of me.

  1. While I was driving down the road

  2. While driving down the road

  3. I was driving down the road

  4. No improvement needed


Correct Option: C
Explanation:

Here, the sentence needs to be supplied with the missing subject. Usage of objective form (me) implies that the doer of the action is the first person. Option 1 is rejected as 'while' and 'when' can not be used together. Thus, option 3.

Directions: Look at the underlined part of the sentence. Three possible substitutions for the underlined part are given below. Select the best substitution for the underlined part and indicate it as your answer. If no substitution is required indicate (4) as your answer.

His latest film has been less successful than his other films were.

  1. have been

  2. had been

  3. was

  4. No improvement needed


Correct Option: C
Explanation:

Case of parallelism, “was-were”.

Directions: Look at the underlined part of the sentence. Three possible substitutions for the underlined part are given below. Select the best substitution for the underlined part and indicate it as your answer. If no substitution is required indicate (1) as your answer as it contains the original statement.

Thinking that he finally found someone with similar interests, the scholar tried to strike up a conversation.

  1. he finally found

  2. he had finally found

  3. he finds

  4. he has finally found

  5. he hadn't found


Correct Option: B
Explanation:

Past perfect tense. Whenever two incidents/actions happen in past in a sequence, we use 'had' with the action former in time. Option 5 changes the meaning of the sentence. Hence, it is not correct. Thus, option 2 is the correct answer.

Directions: Look at the underlined part of the sentence. Three possible substitutions for the underlined part are given below. Select the best substitution for the underlined part and indicate it as your answer. If no substitution is required indicate (4) as your answer.

The report that Ted is sending poison pen letters are surprising.

  1. is surprising

  2. was surprising

  3. were surprising

  4. No improvement needed


Correct Option: A
Explanation:

Subject verb agreement case. “The report” is singular and needs singular auxilary verb. Hence, option 1.

Directions: Look at the underlined part of the sentence. Three possible substitutions for the underlined part are given below. Select the best substitution for the underlined part and indicate it as your answer. If no substitution is required indicate (4) as your answer.

The report that mobile phones cause memory loss has been challenged.

  1. is challenging

  2. had been challenged

  3. is challenged

  4. No improvement needed


Correct Option: D
Explanation:

No error

Directions: Look at the underlined part of the sentence. Three possible substitutions for the underlined part are given below. Select the best substitution for the underlined part and indicate it as your answer. If no substitution is required indicate (1) as your answer as it contains the original statement.

Even though Susie speaks fluent Italian, but she could not understand the Genoese dialect.

  1. Even though Susie speaks fluent Italian

  2. Though Susie speaks fluent Italian

  3. As Susie speaks fluent Italian

  4. Susie speaks fluent Italian

  5. Although Susie speaks fluent Italian


Correct Option: D
Explanation:

We cannot use 'though' and 'but' together in a sentence. As 'but' is not underlined we will discard use of 'even though'. Hence, option(4) is correct.

Directions: Look at the underlined part of the sentence. Three possible substitutions for the underlined part are given below. Select the best substitution for the underlined part and indicate it as your answer. If no substitution is required indicate (4) as your answer.

Can you tell me where can I find the lost and found office?

  1. where I can find

  2. where I found

  3. where can I found

  4. No improvement needed


Correct Option: A
Explanation:

Double interrogatives are not allowed in a single sentence. Thus, option 1.

Directions: Look at the underlined part of the sentence. Three possible substitutions for the underlined part are given below. Select the best substitution for the underlined part and indicate it as your answer. If no substitution is required indicate (4) as your answer.

What I learned was that freedom is really the result of how you will remove obstacles.

  1. you would remove

  2. you can remove

  3. you remove

  4. No improvement needed


Correct Option: C
Explanation:

Word 'learned' demonstrates the usage of simple past tense. So, it should be “result of how you improve”, and 'will' is not required.

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