Verbal Ability | Sentence Improvement Questions and Answers
These verbal ability sentence improvement questions and answers are helpful for students preparing for MBA admission and other competitive exams.
Improve the underlined part of the sentence. Choose option e as the answer if the sentence is correct as it is.
1. Exposure to the target language seems to be one of the most important factors that influences how quickly one learns a foreign language.
a. that influence how quickly one learns
b. what influence how quickly one learns
c. that influence how quick one learns
d. which influence how quickly one learns
e. No improvement
Correct answer: option a
Explanations
a. that influence how quickly one learns
Explanation: The verb in a relative clause should agree with its antecedent (the noun preceding the relative pronoun) in number and person. Here the verb influence agrees with the plural subject factors. Other words are also used correctly here.
b. what influence how quickly one learns
Explanation: This option is not correct. Although the verbs influence and learns are correctly used, the relative adverb what is incorrectly used here. It should be replaced by that.
c. that influence how quick one learns
Explanation: This option is not correct. Quick is an adjective. We need the adverb quickly to modify the verb learns.
d. which influence how quickly one learns
Explanation: After superlatives (most important factors) and words like all, some, little, few, we rarely use which. Instead we use that.
e. No improvement
2. Activities such as playing video games, watching TV and others which require you to use your attention can stop you from falling asleep.
a. such that playing video games, watching TV
b. as such playing video games, watching TV
c. like as playing video games, watching TV
d. such as playing video games, watch TV
e. No improvement
Correct answer: option e
Explanations
a. such that playing video games, watching TV
Explanation: The correct expression is such as, not such that. Such as is an expression used to give examples of what we mention.
b. as such playing video games, watching TV
Explanation: As such means as what is indicated or suggested. It is not the correct expression here.
c. like as playing video games, watching TV
Explanation: It should be ‘such as’ or ‘like’. Both expressions can be used to give examples. Like is not followed by as.
d. such as playing video games, watch TV
Explanation: This is an example of faulty parallelism. All items in a series should have the same grammatical structure. That means if one of them is an ing form, then other items too should be ing forms. We cannot connect ing forms to infinitives. Watch should be replaced by watching.
5. No improvement
3. Different techniques work for different people hence it is best to experiment and find the one that suits you best.
a. therefore it is best to experiment
b. because it is best to experiment
c. so it is best to experiment
d. so it is best to experimenting
e. No improvement
Correct answer: option c
Explanations
a. therefore it is best to experiment
Explanation: Therefore is not a conjunction. It cannot connect two clauses. It is a transitional adverb that merely establishes some connection between ideas. We use a full stop or a semicolon before therefore and a comma after therefore.
b. because it is best to experiment
Explanation: Because shows the reason. The reason is already mentioned in the sentence. Now what we have to do is to mention the result or effect. Because cannot do it.
c. so it is best to experiment
Explanation: So shows the effect. It is correctly used here.
d. so it is best to experimenting
Explanation: Only the preposition to can be followed by an ing form. Here, the to is an infinitive marker. It is not a preposition and hence it should be followed by the first form of the verb. That means experimenting should be replaced by experiment.
5. No improvement.
4. People who are sleep deprived have weakened immune systems and more prone to viruses and other kinds of infections.
a. and are more prone to viruses
b. so are more prone to viruses
c. and are more prone for viruses
d. and is more prone with viruses
e. No improvement
Correct answer: option a
Explanations
a. and are more prone to viruses
Explanation: The two clauses are: people have weakened immune systems, people are more prone to viruses. When we connect them we get: people have weakened immune systems and are more prone to viruses. In the given sentence, the auxiliary ‘are’ is missing in the clause ‘and more prone to viruses’.
b. so are more prone to viruses
Explanation: The conjunction so cannot replace and. However, we can write: People who are sleep deprived have weakened immune systems, so they are more prone to viruses.
c. and are more prone for viruses
Explanation: The preposition for is used incorrectly. Prone takes the preposition to.
d. and is more prone with viruses
Explanation: The auxiliary ‘is’ is incorrectly used. It does not agree with the plural subject people. The preposition with is also used incorrectly.
5. No improvement
5. Once it diagnosed, multiple sclerosis is a lifelong disease with no cure although a number of medical treatments have been shown to reduce relapses and slow the progression of the disease.
a. Once it has diagnosed
b. Once it diagnoses
c. Once diagnosed
d. Once it had diagnosed
e. No improvement
Correct answer: option c
Explanations
a. Once it has diagnosed
Explanation: The present perfect is incorrectly used it. The disease does not diagnose itself. It is diagnosed. A passive verb is required.
b. Once it diagnoses
Explanation: Here also the simple present active is wrong. A passive verb is required.
c. Once diagnosed
Explanation: Once diagnosed is the shortened form of once it is diagnosed. It is correct.
d. Once it had diagnosed
Explanation: The past perfect active is not correct here.
5. No improvement
6. Before electricity was invented, people’s body clocks were synchronized with the sun’s schedule, and the average time they spent sleeping was eight to nine hours a night.
a. time they spend sleeping was
b. time they spend sleeping were
c. time they were spent sleeping was
d. time they have spent sleeping was
e. No improvement
Correct answer: option e
Explanations
a. time they spend sleeping was
Explanation: We are talking about something happened in the past. A past verb is required here. Spend should be replaced by spent.
b. time they spend sleeping were
Explanation: Spend should be replaced by spent. Were should be replaced by was. The subject is the singular noun time. The average time was eight hours.
c. time they were spent sleeping was
Explanation: The passive verb were spent is incorrectly used here. It should be replaced by the simple verb spent.
d. time they have spent sleeping was
Explanation: The present perfect is incorrect here. It cannot be used when there is an obvious reference to the past.
5. No improvement
7. In some Asian countries, a baby’s gender is considered of vital importance to the family, and male babies are often preferred over females for cultural reasons.
a. considered to be of vital importance to
b. is considered to be of vital importance to
c. is considered as vital important to
d. is considered to be for vital importance to
e. No improvement
Correct answer: option b
Explanations
a. considered to be of vital importance to
Explanation: The verb ‘is’ is missing here.
b. is considered to be of vital importance to
Explanation: Considered to be means thought to be. It is the correct expression. The preposition to used after importance is also correct. If something is important to a person, it is of personal or emotional significance to them.
c. is considered as vital important to
Explanation: It should be: is considered to be vitally important to. The words vital and important are both adjectives. An adjective cannot modify another adjective. Only an adverb can modify an adjective.
d. is considered to be for vital importance to
Explanation: The preposition ‘for’ is incorrectly used here. It should be replaced by of.
5. No improvement
Explanation: This sentence requires some improvement.
8. Businesses are changing too fast nowadays that it is essential to provide employees with the training necessary for them to do their jobs efficiently.
a. very fast nowadays that it is
b. so fastly nowadays that it is
c. so fast nowadays that it is
d. such fast nowadays that it is
e. No improvement
Correct answer: option c
Explanations
a. very fast nowadays that it is
Explanation: We cannot use a that-clause after very or too.
b. so fastly nowadays that it is
Explanation: Fastly is a non-existent word. The adjective and adverb form of fast is fast.
c. so fast nowadays that it is
Explanation: The conjunction so…that… expresses cause and effect. It is correctly used here.
d. such fast nowadays that it is
Explanation: Such is used before adjective + noun; so is used before adjective.
5. No improvement
9. Despite most people have mixed motivation, research into language learning and acquisition suggests that integrative motivation produces much better results and is an important characteristic of successful language learners.
a. Despite of most people have mixed motivation
b. Although most people have mixed motivation
c. Even if most people have mixed motivation
d. However most people have mixed motivation
e. No improvement
Correct answer: option b
Explanations
a. Despite of most people have mixed motivation
Explanation: Despite is not followed by of. It is a preposition and it is followed by a noun or ing form. We can also write ‘despite the fact that’.
b. Although most people have mixed motivation
Explanation: Although is a conjunction used to connect two clauses expressing contrasting ideas. It is correct here.
c. Even if most people have mixed motivation
Explanation: Even if means no matter whether. It is not correct here.
d. However most people have mixed motivation
Explanation: However is not a conjunction. It cannot introduce a clause.
5. No improvement
10. Many people overlook the major benefits of GM foods and rather instead choose to focus on the unproven effects of such foods.
a. and are instead choosing to focus on the unproven
b. and is rather choose to focus on the unproven
c. and instead chooses to focus at the unproven
d. and instead choose to focus on the unproven
e. No improvement
Correct answer: option d
Explanations
a. and are instead choosing to focus on the unproven
Explanation: We use the simple present to talk about facts, general truths, habits, likes, preferences etc. The present continuous cannot be used to express this idea.
b. and is rather choose to focus on the unproven
Explanation: The auxiliary ‘is’ is redundant here.
c. and instead chooses to focus at the unproven
Explanation: The singular verb chooses does not agree with the plural subject people; focus should be followed by the preposition on, not at.
d. and instead choose to focus on the unproven
Explanation: This is the correct answer. The plural verb choose agrees with the plural subject people; the adverb instead is also used correctly at the beginning of the clause.
5. No improvement
11. I always prefer starting early rather than to leave everything to the last minute.
a. rather than leaving everything
b. rather leaving everything
c. instead leaving everything
d. than leaving everything to
e. No improvement
Correct answer: option a
Explanations
a. rather than leaving everything
Explanation: Rather than is normally used in parallel structures. For example, with two adjectives, nouns, ing forms or infinitives.
b. rather leaving everything
Explanation: Rather than shows preference. Rather is similar to instead.
c. instead leaving everything
Explanation: Instead of is possible here; however, rather than is the better choice because it shows preference.
d. than leaving everything to
Explanation: It should be rather than; than is used in comparative structures.
e. No improvement
Explanation: This sentence needs improvement
12. Michel Croz, of whose help Whymper climbed the Matterhorn, was one of the first professional guides.
a. with who’s help Whymper climbed
b. with whom help Whymper climbed
c. with whose help Whymper climbed
d. with whose help Whymper climb
e. No improvement
Correct answer: option c
Explanations
a. with who’s help Whymper climbed
Explanation: It should be who’s, not whose.
b. with whom help Whymper climbed
Explanation: Whom should be replaced by whose
c. with whose help Whymper climbed
Explanation: The two clauses are: Michel Croz was one of the first professional guides. With his help Whymper climbed the Matterhorn. We can combine them using the relative pronoun whose. The relative pronoun whose replaces possessive pronouns like his, her, their or our.
d. with whose help Whymper climb
Explanation: The present simple verb climb is incorrectly used here. We are referring to the past; hence, a past verb is required.
e. No improvement
13. They rescued six boat-loads of refugees, some of which had been at sea for many months.
a. some of that had been
b. some of whom have been
c. some of whom had been
d. some of which had been
e. No improvement
Correct answer: option c
Explanations
a. some of that had been
Explanation: The relative pronoun that is not used after some of, any of etc.
b. some of whom have been
Explanation: The present perfect have been is incorrectly used here. The main verb (rescued) is in the past tense; hence, we require a past tense in the subordinate clause as well.
c. some of whom had been
Explanation: The determiners some, any, none, all etc can be used with of whom, of which and of whose. The determiner usually comes before of which.
d. some of which had been
Explanation: The relative pronoun which refers to things. The relative pronoun whom refers to people.
e. No improvement
14. We have tested several different kinds of boot, none of whom is completely waterproof.
a. none of that is completely
b. none of whom is completely
c. none of which is completely
d. none of it is completely
e. No improvement
Correct answer: option c
Explanations
a. none of that is completely
Explanation: The relative pronoun that is not used after expressions like some of, none of, most of etc.
b. none of whom is completely
Explanation: Use whom to refer to people. Use which to refer to things like boot
c. none of which is completely
Explanation: The determiners some, any, none, all etc can be used with of whom, of which and of whose. The determiner usually comes before of which. Use which to refer to things.
d. none of it is completely
Explanation: The pronoun it is incorrectly used here
e. No improvement
15. If an object drops from a great height, it will reach a speed of 100 km/hr in less than three seconds.
a. If an object was dropped
b. If you dropped an object
c. If an object had been dropped
d. If an object is dropped
e. No improvement
Correct answer: option d
Explanations
a. If an object was dropped
Explanation: In type 1 conditional, we use a present tense in the if-clause and will + infinitive in the main clause. Here the verb was dropped is in the past tense.
b. If you dropped an object
Explanation: In type 1 conditional, we use a present tense in the if-clause and will + infinitive in the main clause. Here the verb dropped is in the past tense. When the verb in the if-clause is in the past tense, we use would + infinitive in the main clause.
c. If an object had been dropped
Explanation: In type 3 conditional, we use a past perfect tense in the if-clause and would have + past participle in the main clause.
d. If an object is dropped
Explanation: This is the correct answer. We need a passive verb in the if-clause because the subject is not the doer of the action.
5. No improvement
