Sentence correction exercise
Each sentence given below contains an underlined part which may or may not be grammatically correct. You have to replace that underlined part with one of the suggested alternatives labeled (a), (b), (c). If you feel that no improvement is necessary and the sentence is correct as it is, mark (d) as your answer.
Using through
1. The ground was wet because it had been raining all in the night.
a) Rained all in the night
b) Been raining all through the night
c) Raining all in the night
d) No improvement is necessary
The ground was wet because it had been raining all through the night.
All through the night means during the whole night.
Few and a few
2. I am broke. Will you lend me few hundred rupees?
a) Borrow me few hundred rupees?
b) Lend me a few hundred rupees?
c) Lend me any rupees?
d) No improvement
I am broke. Will you lend me a few hundred rupees?
Few has a negative meaning. It means hardly any. A few means some.
Raise and rise
3. After the heavy rains that lashed the country yesterday, the water levels in the dam raised by another four feet.
a) Rose by another four feet
b) Would rise by another four feet
c) Raise by another four feet
d) No improvement
Solution: Part (a)
After the heavy rains that lashed the country yesterday, the water levels in the dam rose by another four feet.
There is a difference between raised and rose. To raise something is to lift it.
Raise your hands. (NOT Rise your hands.)
Note that raise is a transitive verb. It takes an object.
If you wear that miniskirt to school, you will definitely raise a few eyebrows.
Rise means move from a lower position to a higher position. Rise is intransitive. That means it does not take an object. The past tense of rise is rose.
He rose from his seat. (NOT He raised from his seat.)
Unless and If
4. Unless you apologize for your rude behaviour, we will take legal action against you.
a) As long as you apologize
b) Till you apologize
c) Until you apologize
d) No improvement
This sentence is correct as it is. Unless means if not.
If you do not apologize for your rude behaviour, we will take legal action against you.
Below and under
5. More than half of India's population lives under the poverty line.
a) Lives below the poverty line
b) Stays below the poverty line
c) Stays under the poverty line
d) No improvement
Solution: Part (a)
More than half of India's population lives below the poverty line.
We use below in all measurements where we think of a vertical style. Under, on the other hands, is used to mean 'less than' or 'younger than'.
Sections in this article
Sentence correction exercise
Sentence correction exercise 2
Sentence correction exercise 3
Sentence correction exercise 4