SOLUTION SENTENCE IMPROVEMENT PRACTICE SET 10 SOLVED IN ENGLISH
SENTENCE IMPROVEMENT Practice Set 10 SOLVED IN HINDI & ENGLISH (with options)
View solution with explanation in English
1. There will be a trend of unseasonal rainfall in April, in recent years.
Answer: A
Explanation: Option ‘A’. Here the adjective ‘recent’ is referring to time. For times we mainly use ‘recent’ with the Present Perfect Tense. We can also use ‘recent’ with the Past Simple Tense when we mean to say ‘a short time ago’; e.g.
He left recently. = He left a short time ago.
Option ‘B’ is incorrect as ‘it’ as an artificial is used with adjectives. To understand read this:
Every sentence/clause must have a subject. Sometimes we need to use an artificial subject when there is no subject attached to the verb, and where the real subject is somewhere else in the sentence/clause. ‘It’ and ‘there’ are the two words that we use as artificial subjects in English; e.g.
It’s always good to keep all important documents safe in a file.
[The real subject here is ‘all important documents’. So this sentence can be re-written as ‘To keep all important documents safe in a file is always good.]
There are two temples in our colony.
[The real subject here is ‘two temples’. So this sentence can be re-written as ‘Two temples are in our colony.]
NOTE-I: We use ‘it’ as an artificial subject with adjectives; e.g.
a) It’s important to wear a helmet whenever you ride a bike.
b) It’s useful to write down your driving license number somewhere, in case you lose it.
[‘Important’ and ‘useful’ are adjectives in these sentences.]
NOTE-II: When something/someone exists or is present in a particular place or situation, we don’t use ‘it’, we use ‘there’ instead; e.g.
INCORRECT: It’s a lot of noise in the room today.
CORRECT: There’s a lot of noise in the room today.
INCORRECT: It’s a woman waiting outside who wants to talk to you.
CORRECT: There’s a woman waiting outside who wants to talk to you.
INCORRECT: It were no children playing in the park.
CORRECT: There were no children playing in the park.
2. They were angry because they realised that they had cheated.
Answer: A
Explanation: Option ‘A’. Here we need the passive form of the verb. Here we are given two past actions which happened one after another. In such a case we use the Past Perfect Tense for the first one and the Past Simple Tense for the second one. Action ‘cheating’ happened first therefore here we need it in the Past Perfect Tense.
3. Sujata is the prettiest of all other contestants.
Answer: A
Explanation: Option ‘A’. When two similar type of things are compared, use of ‘other’ is essential in the positive or the comparative degree. But we don’t use ‘other’ when we compare the things using the superlative degree; e.g.
a) No other railway station in Delhi is as good as New Delhi Station.
b) New Delhi Station is better than any other railway station in Delhi.
c) New Delhi Station is better than all other railway stations in Delhi.
a) She is as clever as any other student in the class.
b) She is cleverer than any other student in the class.
INCORRECT: Gold is most precious of all other metals.
CORRECT: Gold is most precious of all metals.
INCORRECT: Pawan is the laziest of all his other brothers.
CORRECT: Pawan is the laziest of all his brothers.
4. The CEO made it very clear in the annual meeting that the only criteria to promote an employee would be his performance and nothing else.
Answer: B
Explanation: Option ‘B’. ‘Sole’ and ‘only’ have the same meaning. The difference is that ‘sole’ is used when there can be no other options/possibilities available; ‘only’ is used when other options/possibilities can be available;
a) This is the only coat I have. (Means there could be more coats with him if he had bought. You can’t use the word ‘sole’ here.)
b) I have only one sister. (Again he could have more sisters if circumstances allowed, means you can’t also use the word ‘sole’ here.)
NOTE: ‘Criteria’ is plural whereas ‘criterion’ is singular, but here we need it in the singular.
5. The Kadampuzha Devi is worth seeing temple in Kerala.
Answer: B
Explanation: Option ‘B’. ‘Worth seeing’ is used after nouns or pronouns.
6. It was a week since the exams began.
Answer: A
Explanation: Option ‘A’. If a sentence begins with the structure ‘It + be + time’; and the tense of the since-clause is the ‘Past Simple Tense’ or the ‘Present Perfect Tense’, we use the ‘Present Simple Tense’ or ‘Present Perfect Tense’ after ‘it’. In the given sentence the tense of the since-clause is the Past Simple Tense (began), therefore option ‘A’ is only correct. See this example:
It is two years since I saw Mohan.
= It is two years since I have seen Mohan
= It has been two years since I saw Mohan.
= It has been two years since I have seen Mohan.
NOTE: But, if the tense of the since-clause is the ‘Past Perfect Tense’, we use the ‘Past Simple Tense’ or the ‘Past Perfect Tense’ after ‘it’; e.g.
a) It was years since I had met him.
= It’d been years since I had met him.
b) He invited me to go riding with him. But it was two years since I had ridden a horse.
= He invited me to go riding with him. But it had been two years since I had ridden a horse.
7. He has fallen out with the girl he wanted to marry.
Answer: D
Explanation: Option ‘D’. Fall out = to have an argument and stop being friendly with someone; e.g.
i) She fell out with her sister.
ii) He left home after falling out with his parents.
iii) She’d fallen out with her boyfriend over his ex-girlfriend.
8. Respecting elders has been our custom since time immemorial.
Answer: D
Explanation: Option ‘D’. ‘From time immemorial’ is also fine; but the given sentence is already correct.
9. I shall be grateful to you if you are of help to me now.
Answer: D
Explanation: Option ‘D’. ‘Be of help’ is a phrase which means ‘making a situation easier or better’; e.g.
Can I be of help to you?
NOTE: ‘Are’ is a form of the verb ‘be’; therefore ‘be of help’ = ‘are of help’
10. He sent a word to me that he would be coming late.
Answer: A
Explanation: Option ‘A’. Correct phrase is ‘send word’ (not ‘send a word’). It means ‘to send someone to give a message to another person’; e.g.
She sent word with her secretary that she would be unable to attend the meeting.
Hindi translation of the given sentence: उसने मुझे सन्देश भेजा कि उसे आने में देरी हो जायेगी.
View solution with explanation in Hindi
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