Sentence Improvement Exercises with Solutions

Mastering Sentence Improvement: Essential Techniques for Exam Success

Introduction:

In competitive exams, sentence improvement exercises are a common and crucial section designed to test your ability to identify and correct errors in sentence structure, vocabulary, and grammar. The goal of sentence improvement is to make a sentence clearer, more concise, or grammatically correct. Understanding common sentence structures and having a clear grasp of grammar rules will help you identify mistakes and correct them efficiently.

This module will cover essential techniques for sentence improvement, including rules, examples, and step-by-step instructions to help you succeed in your exams. Additionally, we’ll look at common types of sentence errors that require improvement and provide tips on how to approach these types of questions.

I. Key Areas of Sentence Improvement

1. Subject-Verb Agreement

• Rule: Ensure the subject and verb agree in number and person.
  • Example: “The students are happy” (Correct) vs. “The students is happy” (Incorrect).

2. Tense Consistency

• Rule: Use consistent tenses within a sentence unless a time shift is required.
  • Example: “She had been singing when I arrived” (Correct) vs. “She had been singing when I arrive” (Incorrect).

3. Word Choice and Vocabulary

• Rule: Use the most appropriate word for the context.
  • Example: “He has an extensive knowledge of literature” (Correct) vs. “He has an intensive knowledge of literature” (Incorrect).

4. Redundancy and Wordiness

• Rule: Avoid using unnecessary words that don’t add meaning.
  • Example: “She returned back” (Incorrect) vs. “She returned” (Correct).

5. Parallel Structure

• Rule: Maintain consistent grammatical structure in lists or paired elements.
  • Example: “She likes swimming, dancing, and singing” (Correct) vs. “She likes swimming, to dance, and singing” (Incorrect).

6. Punctuation and Sentence Clarity

• Rule: Use commas, periods, and other punctuation marks to ensure clarity and flow.
  • Example: “Let’s eat, grandma!” (Correct) vs. “Let’s eat grandma!” (Incorrect).

7. Pronoun Agreement

• Rule: Ensure pronouns agree in number and gender with the noun they replace.
  • Example: “Every student must submit his or her assignment” (Correct) vs. “Every student must submit their assignment” (Incorrect).

II. Techniques for Sentence Improvement

1. Analyzing Sentence Structure

• Break down the sentence into its components (subject, verb, object, modifiers).
• Look for errors related to subject-verb agreement, redundancy, and punctuation.

2. Identify the Error

• Carefully read the sentence and identify parts that are unclear or incorrect.

3. Apply Grammar Rules

• Use rules related to tenses, prepositions, and word order to correct mistakes.

4. Eliminate Wordiness

• Remove unnecessary words and phrases that do not contribute to the meaning.

5. Use Contextual Vocabulary

• Replace vague or incorrect words with more precise ones that match the context.

III. Practice and Application: Sentence Improvement Exercises

MCQs (Multiple Choice Questions)

1. Choose the correct improvement for the sentence: “He is the better player than his teammate.”
   • a) He is the best player than his teammate.
   • b) He is the better player of his teammate.
   • c) He is a better player than his teammate.
   • d) He is better than his teammate player.
   • Answer: c) He is a better player than his teammate.
     Explanation: The correct form is “a better player,” and “than” is used to compare two things.
2. Choose the improved sentence: “She don’t like chocolate.”
   • a) She doesn’t like chocolate.
   • b) She don’t likes chocolate.
   • c) She is not like chocolate.
   • d) She likes not chocolate.
   • Answer: a) She doesn’t like chocolate.
     Explanation: The verb “do” should be followed by “not” to form the negative “doesn’t.”
3. Select the grammatically correct sentence:
   • a) He studied hard, and he passed the exam.
   • b) He studied hard and passed the exam.
   • c) He had studied hard and passes the exam.
   • d) He studied hard, and passed the exam.
   • Answer: b) He studied hard and passed the exam.
     Explanation: The sentence does not require a comma since both actions are connected by “and.”
4. Which is the best way to improve the sentence: “I am going to the store and to buy some milk.”
   • a) I am going to the store to buy some milk.
   • b) I am going to the store and I am buying some milk.
   • c) I am to go to the store and to buy some milk.
   • d) I am going to the store and buy some milk.
   • Answer: a) I am going to the store to buy some milk.
     Explanation: The sentence is improved by removing the redundant “to.”
5. Choose the corrected sentence: “Neither the teacher nor the students was happy.”
   • a) Neither the teacher nor the students were happy.
   • b) Neither the teacher nor the students was happy.
   • c) Neither the teacher nor the students are happy.
   • d) Neither the teacher or the students was happy.
   • Answer: a) Neither the teacher nor the students were happy.
     Explanation: When two subjects are connected by “nor,” the verb should agree with the plural subject “students.”
6. Identify the correct improvement: “He could speak Chinese fluently, but he doesn’t speaks English well.”
   • a) He could speak Chinese fluently, but he doesn’t speak English well.
   • b) He could speaks Chinese fluently, but he doesn’t speak English well.
   • c) He can speak Chinese fluently, but he doesn’t speaks English well.
   • d) He could speak Chinese fluently, but he doesn’t speaks English well.
   • Answer: a) He could speak Chinese fluently, but he doesn’t speak English well.
     Explanation: “Doesn’t” should be followed by the base form of the verb “speak.”
7. Which is the correct sentence improvement? “She is more smarter than her friend.”
   • a) She is smarter than her friend.
   • b) She is more smart than her friend.
   • c) She is more smarter than her friend.
   • d) She is smarter than her friend.
   • Answer: a) She is smarter than her friend.
     Explanation: “More smarter” is redundant; “smarter” alone is sufficient.
8. Choose the sentence with proper parallelism: “He likes reading, writing, and to swim.”
   • a) He likes reading, writing, and swimming.
   • b) He likes reading, to write, and swimming.
   • c) He likes to read, writing, and to swim.
   • d) He likes reading, writing, and to swim.
   • Answer: a) He likes reading, writing, and swimming.
     Explanation: The gerunds (“reading,” “writing,” and “swimming”) maintain parallel structure.
9. Select the best improvement for this sentence: “She was running fastly when the bus came.”
   • a) She was running fast when the bus came.
   • b) She was fast running when the bus came.
   • c) She ran fastly when the bus came.
   • d) She was running fast when the bus came.
   • Answer: a) She was running fast when the bus came.
     Explanation: “Fast” is an adverb, not “fastly.”
10. Choose the correct sentence improvement: “He was tired because he didn’t slept well.”
    • a) He was tired because he didn’t sleep well.
    • b) He was tired because he didn’t slept well.
    • c) He was tired because he doesn’t sleep well.
    • d) He was tired because he didn’t sleeped well.
    • Answer: a) He was tired because he didn’t sleep well.
      Explanation: After “didn’t,” the verb should be in its base form, “sleep.”

IV. Descriptive Questions

1. Explain how subject-verb agreement impacts sentence structure and how errors can be avoided in exams.
   • Answer: Subject-verb agreement ensures that subjects and verbs align in terms of number (singular/plural). For example, “She writes daily” vs. “She write daily.” In exams, common mistakes include using singular subjects with plural verbs or vice versa. This can be avoided by identifying the subject and verb in each sentence and ensuring they match.
2. What are some common errors related to word choice, and how can they be corrected?
   • Answer: Word choice errors often involve using incorrect synonyms or words that don’t fit the context. For example, using “effect” instead of “affect.” These errors can be corrected by understanding the meanings and uses of words in context.
3. Describe how redundancy and wordiness can affect sentence clarity. Provide examples of both.
   • Answer: Redundancy and wordiness make sentences long-winded and unclear. For example, “She returned back” (redundant) can be simplified to “She returned.” Wordiness occurs when unnecessary words

are added, like “He has the ability to complete the task” instead of “He can complete the task.”

4. How does punctuation contribute to sentence clarity, and what are some common punctuation mistakes?
   • Answer: Punctuation ensures sentences are easy to read and understand. Common punctuation mistakes include misplacing commas, which can change the meaning, such as “Let’s eat, grandma!” vs. “Let’s eat grandma!”
5. What is parallelism, and why is it important in sentence improvement?
   • Answer: Parallelism refers to using the same grammatical structure in parts of a sentence or list. It’s essential for maintaining clarity and balance. For example, “She likes reading, writing, and swimming” maintains parallel structure. Incorrect parallelism, such as “She likes to read, writing, and swimming” disrupts the flow.