Sentence Improvement

Sentence Improvement section is a frequent part of the IBPS PO, SO, SBI and RBI exams. In these questions, the knowledge about the rules of the grammar is checked. The candidate must expect questions that check the concepts of tenses, verbs, suppositories, adjectives, modals, conjunctions, prepositions, articles etc. The questions are present in a multiple choice format.  Here we will see many examples forming the various kinds of questions that are present in this section of the paper.

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Sentence Improvement

In the paper, you will see that a sentence is present with a word or phrase or a clause in bold or underlined. Below this option will be present. You will be asked to select the option that can replace the word/ phrase/ clause in a way that the sentence becomes free of any grammatical mistakes. Sometimes, however, the sentence may be given as such and you shall be asked to identify the error. Let us see this with the help of some examples and their solved explanations.

Browse more Topics under Correct Sentences

• Error Detection
• Sentence Formation
• Sentence Connectors
• Phrase Replacement
• Common Errors in Spoken English
• Sentence Correction Practice Questions

Solved Examples -Type I

Let us see the actual text of the question that is present in the paper.

Directions: “In the following questions, a phrase/clause/word/some part of the sentence is underlined. Which of the options present below the sentence would you choose to replace the part that is in bold? The option that you select will make the sentence grammatically correct. If there is nothing wrong with the sentence and it is absolutely correct grammatically, then choose the option E which is ‘No Correction required’ as the answer.

Example 1: Besides her friends, her wife and colleagues also gets the invitation.

A) Too Gets             B) Also getting              C) Also got               D) too getting         E) No correction required

Answer: The sentence has a simple past tense, except the part of the sentence in the bold letters. Thus we have to replace the bold out part of the option that is in the simple past. The option C) i.e. “also got” seems to fit perfectly. So the correct sentence can be written as “Besides her friends, her wife and colleagues also got the invitation.

Note that “also got” is not the only correct option. We can easily put “also get” in there without making the sentence grammatically incorrect.

Example 2: Great representatives are always empathetic towards her people’s needs.

A) A great representative is              B) Great representatives is              C) Some great representatives are             D) All great representatives are                  E) No correction required

Answer: The hint word or the defining word here is the possessive adjective ‘her’. This occurs in the predicate part of the sentence (the part of a sentence or clause containing a verb and stating something about the subject) containing this possessive adjective hints at a subject that is singular in nature. In other words “representative is” will make the sentence grammatically more correct. Hence the option A) A great representative is, is the correct option.

Solved Examples – Types II

Let us see some more solved examples of sentence improvements. The main aim is to check the grammar of the sentence. Let us see some more examples and the rules that let us improve them.

Example 3: The office gives differently rate of interest depending on the quality of the work.

A) difference in the rate of interests          B) difference what rate of interest             C) different rates of interest          D) the different rate of interest                   E) No correction required

Answer: The sentence has a noun phrase in it namely “rate of interest”. Before a noun phrase, we can’t use an adverb like differently because an adverb can only qualify a verb and not a noun. Thus the use of the adverb here is wrong and we replace it with the adjective ‘different’. An adjective is what qualifies a noun. So the correct answer is C) different rates of interest.

Example 4: It is too early to know how the effect will the new policies will have on the people.

A) what effect will                                          B) that the effect will                                   C) how much effects will        D) what are the effects of                             E) No correction required

Answer: In place of the adverb ‘how’, we must use the adjective ‘what’ to make the sentence grammatically correct. We can write the correct sentence as “It is too early to know what effect will the new policies have on the people.” It may also be written as “It is too early to know how the new policies will affect the people.” With respect to the options that are present here, we see that the correct option is A) what effect will.

Practice Questions

Q 1: Khan is enough kind to help me pack my stuff and move out.

A) Kinder enough

B) Kindly enough

C) enough kindly

D) kind enough

E) No improvement

Ans: D) Kind enough

Q 2: Some people think that mathematics is only a product of the human brain, and is not something that is inherent in the Universe.

A) to the

B) for the

C) in the

D) with the

E) No improvement

Ans: A) to the.