Sentence Improvement questions with solutions

1. Question 1Easy

   Choose the option that best replaces the underlined part. If no change is needed, choose 'No improvement'. The quality of these products _are_ improving steadily.

   • A.isCorrect
   • B.were
   • C.have been
   • D.are being
   • E.No improvement
   Show solution

   The subject is 'the quality' (singular); 'of these products' is only a modifier. The verb must be singular: 'The quality of these products is improving steadily.'

2. Question 2Easy

   Improve the underlined part: 'He is more taller than his brother.'

   • A.tallerCorrect
   • B.more tall
   • C.most taller
   • D.tallest
   Show solution

   'Taller' is already comparative, so 'more' is redundant. The correct form is simply 'taller than his brother'.

3. Question 3Easy

   Select the phrase that best replaces the underlined part. She is one of those employees who _always completes_ the assigned task before the deadline.

   • A.always completes
   • B.always completeCorrect
   • C.is always completing
   • D.always completing
   • E.have always completed
   Show solution

   In the structure 'one of those + plural noun + who', the relative pronoun 'who' refers to the plural noun 'employees', so the verb is plural: 'who always complete'. The pull towards a singular verb from 'one' is the trap this sentence sets.

4. Question 4Moderate

   Select the phrase that best replaces the underlined part. He insisted _to go_ with us to the branch.

   • A.to go
   • B.on goingCorrect
   • C.for going
   • D.to going
   • E.in go
   Show solution

   The verb 'insist' is followed by 'on' and a gerund, so the correct form is 'insisted on going'. 'Insisted to go' is not idiomatic English.

5. Question 5Moderate

   Select the phrase that best replaces the underlined part. If I _was_ you, I would accept the offer without delay.

   • A.was
   • B.wereCorrect
   • C.am
   • D.had been
   • E.will be
   Show solution

   This is a hypothetical, unreal situation, which takes the subjunctive 'were' regardless of the subject: 'If I were you'. Using 'was' here is a common but incorrect choice.

6. Question 6Moderate

   Select the phrase that best replaces the underlined part to make the sentence grammatically correct. Hardly had the manager entered the branch _when_ the alarm went off.

   • A.than the alarm went off
   • B.when the alarm went offCorrect
   • C.then the alarm went off
   • D.that the alarm went off
   • E.while the alarm went off
   Show solution

   The correlative pair for 'hardly had' is 'when', giving 'Hardly had the manager entered the branch when the alarm went off.' 'Scarcely/hardly ... when' and 'no sooner ... than' are the fixed patterns; mixing them, as in 'hardly ... than', is the usual error. So the underlined 'when' is already correct.

7. Question 7Moderate

   Select the phrase that best replaces the underlined part. If he _would have informed_ me earlier, I could have arranged the documents.

   • A.would have informed
   • B.had informedCorrect
   • C.has informed
   • D.would inform
   • E.informs
   Show solution

   This is a third conditional expressing a past unreal situation. The 'if' clause takes the past perfect, 'had informed', while the main clause takes 'could have arranged'. Using 'would have' in the 'if' clause is a common mistake; 'would' belongs in the result clause, not the condition.

8. Question 8Moderate

   Choose the best replacement for the underlined part: 'If I was you', I would accept the offer.

   • A.If I was you
   • B.If I had been you
   • C.If I were youCorrect
   • D.If I am you
   Show solution

   A hypothetical condition uses the subjunctive "were" for all persons, so "If I were you" is correct.

9. Question 9Moderate

   Choose the option that best replaces the underlined part. If no change is needed, choose 'No improvement'. He is senior _than me_ by three years.

   • A.to meCorrect
   • B.from me
   • C.than mine
   • D.over me
   • E.No improvement
   Show solution

   'Senior' is followed by 'to', not 'than': 'He is senior to me by three years.' The Latin comparatives (senior, junior, superior, prior) all take 'to'.

10. Question 10Moderate

    Choose the option that best replaces the underlined part. If no change is needed, choose 'No improvement'. Scarcely had the meeting begun _than the power_ failed.

    • A.when the powerCorrect
    • B.then the power
    • C.that the power
    • D.until the power
    • E.No improvement
    Show solution

    The correlative of 'scarcely' (and 'hardly') is 'when', not 'than'. The sentence should read 'Scarcely had the meeting begun when the power failed.'

11. Question 11Moderate

    Choose the best replacement for the underlined part: He has been working here 'since five years'.

    • A.since five years
    • B.for five yearsCorrect
    • C.from five years
    • D.in five years
    Show solution

    "Since" marks a point in time; a length of time takes "for", so "for five years" is correct.

12. Question 12Moderate

    Choose the option that best replaces the underlined part. If no improvement is needed, choose option E. If he _would have applied_ earlier, he would have been eligible for the fee concession.

    • A.would apply
    • B.had appliedCorrect
    • C.has applied
    • D.applied
    • E.No improvement required
    Show solution

    In a third conditional the 'if' clause takes the past perfect and only the main clause carries 'would have'. So it is 'If he had applied earlier, he would have been eligible'. Putting 'would' in both halves is among the most common errors in written English and is the one being tested. Option D gives a second conditional, which would need 'would be eligible' rather than 'would have been' in the main clause, so it does not fit the sentence as it stands.

These are 12 of 16 sentence improvement questions in the bank. Attempt the rest with instant feedback in the practice drills, or under a clock in the mock tests.