Sentence Improvement: Verbal Ability Questions and Answers

Sentence improvement is a part of “English comprehension” for many competitive exams. This topic requires a thorough understanding of grammar. One can’t solve such questions by using his senses like ” It sounds good then I should mark this option”. 

Sentence Improvement Concepts and Examples are explained below. So the candidate needs to go through the article to score well in the Verbal Ability section of the competitive exams.

Sentence Improvement Concepts

To master this topic, one has to solve an ample amount of questions so he/she will become habitual of handling such questions. Therefore some important questions from the topic are given below. Practice these questions within the time limit to prepare for the exams.

First, we need to understand what is sentence improvement. In such types of questions, you are given a long tail sentence and some part of the sentence mark bold where you need to check whether this part is grammatically right or wrong. You have to choose from the four given options. If there is not any errors then one has to mark this question as ” No Improvement “.

Sentence Improvement Example:

Q. Jeans was not permitted in our college.

a. Were not

b. has not

c. did not

d. no improvement

Solution: In that case, our correct answer is option (a), and the correct sentence will be Jeans were not permitted in our college.

Here, we can see the subject of the sentence is plural noun. Thus a plural verb is required. 

Important Sentence Improvement Questions 

Directions for Question: 

Here a sentence is given and some parts of the sentence will be marked bold. For your help, four options are given out which one option is correct?

Q1. Thirty five miles are a long way to walk.

(a). is

(b). was

(c). were

(d). No improvement

Answer : Option (a)

Explanation : 

The singular verb “is” will be used in place of “are” because a singular verb is used with ‘cardinal adjective + plural noun’. 

Q2. Neither my son nor my daughter were able to help me in my work.

(a). was

(b). are

(c). is

(d). No Improvement

Answer : Option (a)

Explanation : 

The singular verb “was” will be used in place of the plural verb “were” because a singular noun “daughter” is used after nor for which a singular verb is required.

Q3. If my mother approve I will go to goa.

(a). approved

(b). approves

(c). approving

(d). No improvement

Answer: Option (b)

Explanation : 

The singular verb – “approves” will be used in place of the plural verb “approve” because the singular subject my mother has been used after if in the given conditional sentence, thus for the singular subject a singular verb is required.

Q4.  The Army were trying to control the crowd.

(a). the mob

(b) the horde

(c) the group

(d) no error

Answer:  Option (a)

Explanation :  

The mob is used in the place of the crowd. Army is not required to control crowd, but when crowd turn violent, then they are termed as ‘mob’, and in that case, ‘army’ will be correct. 

Q5. They were surprised by their peculiar behaviours.

(a). behave

(b). behaviour

(c). behaves

(d). No errors

Answer: Option (b)

Explanation : 

Here we have to use the word “behaviour” at the place of behaviours because behaviour is an uncountable noun and it is not possible to make its plural form.

Q6. Sri lankan’s players were determined to win the Asia cup.

(a). Sri Lankan

(b) The Sri Lankan

(c) The Sri Lankan’s

(d) No errors

Answer: Option (a)

Explanation : 

Sri Lankan players will be used in the place of Sri Lankan’s players because ‘sri lankan’ itself has a possessive connotation. 

Q7.  They loved theirself so much that they thought of no one else

(a). Them

(b) Themself

(c) themselves

(d) no error.

Answer: Option (c)

Explanation : 

Here we have to use themselves at the place of theirself because themselves is the reflexive pronoun of they.

Q8.  He bought Mango for Ridhi and myself.

(a) mine

(b) me 

(c) I

(d) No errors.

Answer: Option (b)

Explanation : 

Here “me” should be used at the place of “myself” because the pronoun of objective case is used after a preposition.

Q9. The woman who they thought to be a noblewoman is a rogue. 

(a) Whose

(b) whom

(c) which

(d) No error

Answer : Option (b)

Explanation : 

The relative pronoun  ‘whom’ will be used in place of the relative pronoun ‘who’ as there is no verb for which the interrogative pronoun ‘who’ should be used. 

Q10. I will take with me whosoever you choose.

(a) Whom

(b) who

(c) whomsoever

(d) No error

Answer: Option (c)

Explanation : 

The compound relative pronoun ‘whomsoever’ is used in place of the compound relative pronoun whosoever.

Q11. If your mother disapprove of the plan you should give it up.

(a) Would

(b) will

(c) could

(d) no error.

Answer : Option (d)

Explanation : 

The sentence has no error because should is as a compulsion to obey your parents.

Q12. Her father thinks that somebody must have dared her steal the car.

(a). Stole

(b) To steal

(c) to stole

(d) No errors.

Answer : Option (b)

Explanation : 

Here we use “to steal” in place of steal. Because “Dare” is used as a main verb, the infinitive with to (to + V1) is used after it.

Q13. By reading fastly, I could finish the book before the book store closed.

(a) can finish

(b) Should finish

(c) Managed to finish

(d) No errors.

Answer : Option (c)

Explanation :

“Managed to finish” is used at the place of “could finish” because the past event has been explained in the given sentence.

The context of the sentence is ‘one action’ has been done before ‘the other action’. The first action is ‘reading fastly’ and the second action is ‘book store closed’.

Q14. The future generation can fly to the mars for their winter vacation.

(a) Could fly

(b) will fly

(c) will be able to fly

(d) no error

Answer :  Option (c)

Explanation : 

“will be able to fly” will be used in place of “can fly” because the given sentence talks about future and shows possibility. “can fly” indicated it is now possible, but this is not the context given in the statement, as ‘future generation’ is mentioned in the statement.

Q15. The current situation compelled me writing the book.

(a) To write

(b) To wrote

(c) Written

(d) No errors

Answer: Option (a)

Explanation : 

“To write” will be used in place of writing because an “object + infinitive with to” is always used after the word compel.

Q16.  You cannot withdraw all your money unless you do not give a prior notice.

(a) unless you not

(b) unless you

(c) Unless not

(d) no errors

Answer : Option (b)

Explanation : 

“Unless you” should be used in place of “unless you do not”. The negative word “not” is not used in unless/until starting clause, because they have negative meaning.

Q17. Hardly had he finished his homework than the principal arrived with another file.

(a). when

(b) then

(c) so

(d) no error

Answer : Option (a)

Explanation : 

Here we have to use “when” in place of “than” because with “hardly” the word “when ” should be used.

Q18. Shivam has no right to take a claim on his parents property as he did not look after him in his old age.

(a) To take claim

(b) stake a claim

(c) to managed a claim

(d) No errors.

Answer :  Option (b)

Explanation : 

Here we have to use “stake a claim” in place of “take a claim” because “stake a claim” is used only when you ask for something which one’s own.

Q19. Most people in Pakistan loves to give a lot of free advice.

(a) adviced

(b) advocate

(c) advices

(d) no error

Answer : Option (d) 

Explanation : 

Here the word advice is an uncountable noun so it has no plural form.

Q20. The policeman arrested the robber and send him to tihad jail.

(a) sent

(b) sending

(c) ended

(d)No error

Answer : Option (a)

Explanation : 

The past participle form ‘sent’ will be used at the place of ‘send’ as the context of the statement is of “past tense”.(d) No error.