Sentence Improvement
In 'Sentence Improvement' questions, a specific part of a sentence is highlighted or underlined. You must determine if that part is grammatically correct. If it is incorrect, you must choose the best replacement from the given options. If the original sentence is perfectly fine, the answer is "No improvement".
🎯 Objective: To identify grammatical errors (tense mismatch, wrong preposition, awkward phrasing, subject-verb disagreement) and substitute the underlined portion with the most precise, concise, and grammatically accurate option.
Key Rules & Core Strategies
1. The Focus is on Conciseness & Precision
Sometimes the underlined part is grammatically acceptable but awkwardly phrased. In these cases, look for an option that conveys the exact same meaning more concisely without changing the core tense.
- Original: The manager was angry due to the reason that the project was delayed.
- Improved: The manager was angry because the project was delayed. ("because" is more concise).
2. Maintaining Parallel Structure (Parallelism)
Items in a series or list must be in the same grammatical form (all nouns, all -ing verbs, all infinites).
- Original: The hiker enjoys exploring, climbing, and to pitch a tent.
- Improved: The hiker enjoys exploring, climbing, and pitching a tent. (Matches the '-ing' pattern).
3. Question Tags
A positive statement takes a negative question tag, and a negative statement takes a positive question tag. The tag must use the auxiliary verb from the main clause.
| Statement Type | Incorrect usage | Correct Improvement |
|---|---|---|
| Positive Statement | He is working very hard, is he? | He is working very hard, isn't he? |
| Negative Statement | They haven't finished the task, haven't they? | They haven't finished the task, have they? |
| Statement with 'I am' | I am early today, amn't I? | I am early today, aren't I? (Exception rule) |
4. Conditionals ('If' Clauses)
This is a highly tested area in the NDA exam. Memorize these structures:
- Future Condition: If + Present Simple, Will/Shall + Verb1.
(e.g., If he will come, I will go. → If he comes, I will go.) - Unreal Past (Imaginary): If + Had + Verb3, Would have + Verb3.
(e.g., If I had money, I would buy that car. → If I had had money, I would have bought that car. OR If I had money, I would buy that car [Second Conditional]. Confusing tenses is common).
5. Relative Pronouns (Who, Whom, Which, That)
- Who/Whom: Used for people. 'Who' is a subject (he/she); 'Whom' is an object (him/her).
(e.g., The boy which stole the watch. → The boy who stole the watch.) - Which: Used for animals and things.
- Whose: Shows possession (for people or things).
Detailed Example Analysis
Example 1 (Redundancy/Superfluous words)
The manager asked the employee to return back to the office immediately.
Options:
(a) return down
(b) come back
(c) return
(d) No improvement
Analysis: The word "return" inherently means "to come back or go back". Adding the word "back" after "return" is redundant and grammatically superfluous (superfluous error). The most concise and correct word is simply "return".
Answer: (c) return
Example 2 (Tense Sequence)
Hardly I had left the station when the massive explosion occurred.
Options:
(a) I left
(b) did I leave
(c) had I left
(d) No improvement
Analysis: Sentences beginning with negative adverbials like "Hardly", "Scarcely", "No sooner", or "Never" follow an inverted word order (Auxiliary Verb + Subject + Main Verb). Therefore, "I had left" is incorrect. The past perfect tense is needed here because the leaving happened *before* the explosion. So, the inversion becomes "had I left".
Answer: (c) had I left
Example 3 (Conditional Sentence)
If you would have practiced harder, you would have easily won the heavy championship belt.
Options:
(a) will have
(b) had
(c) have
(d) No improvement
Analysis: This is a Third Conditional sentence dealing with an unreal past situation. The correct structure is: "If + Subject + had + V3 (Past Perfect), Subject + would have + V3". You cannot use "would have" in the 'If' clause. It must be "If you had practiced...".
Answer: (b) had
Practice Questions: Sentence Improvement
Directions: In the following questions, a part of the sentence is underlined. Below are given alternatives to the underlined part which may improve the sentence. Choose the correct alternative. If no improvement is needed, choose "No improvement".
Practice Set (20 Questions)
Q1. She prefers reading books than to watch movies late at night.
Answer: (a) to watching
The verb 'prefer' takes the preposition 'to', not 'than'. Also, for parallel structure, since the first verb is a gerund ('reading'), the second must also be a gerund ('watching'). Hence, "prefers reading... to watching...".
Q2. Scarcely had I reached the crowded station than the train departed quickly.
Answer: (b) when the train
The correlative conjunction pairs are 'Hardly / Scarcely... when' and 'No sooner... than'. Therefore, 'Scarcely' must be followed by 'when'.
Q3. If I was you, I would not accept such a demanding and underpaid job.
Answer: (c) were you
This is a Second Conditional sentence representing an unreal, hypothetical situation in the present. In such cases, the verb 'to be' is always 'were' for all subjects (I, he, she, they).
Q4. He is the most intelligent student in the class, is he?
Answer: (a) isn't he?
A positive statement takes a negative question tag. Since the auxiliary verb in the statement is 'is', the tag must be "isn't he?".
Q5. Neither the manager nor the employees was aware of the sudden inspection.
Answer: (a) were aware
In 'Neither...nor' pairs, the verb agrees with the subject closest to it. The closest subject is 'employees' (plural). Therefore, the past plural verb 'were' is correct.
Q6. I asked him where was he going so late in the evening.
Answer: (b) where he was going
The sentence is in Indirect Speech. In indirect speech, the interrogative sentence structure (verb + subject) changes into an assertive statement structure (subject + verb). Thus, "where was he" becomes "where he was".
Q7. The furious committee comprises of twelve highly experienced regional directors.
Answer: (b) comprises
In the active voice, the verb 'comprise' means "to consist of" and never takes the preposition 'of'. You say "consists of" or simply "comprises". Removing "of" makes it correct.
Q8. Despite of his immense wealth, he is incredibly unhappy and lonely.
Answer: (a) Despite
The word 'Despite' is a preposition meaning 'in spite of'. It is never followed by 'of'. The correct phrases are either 'Despite' or 'In spite of'.
Q9. The famous author naturally returned back to his hometown after fifty years.
Answer: (c) to his hometown
The word 'return' already means 'to come/go back'. Adding 'back' is a superfluous error (redundancy). The concise form is simply "returned to".
Q10. I am entirely used to wake up early in the morning for jogging.
Answer: (a) waking up
When 'used to' follows the 'to be' verb (am, is, are, was, were) or 'get', it means "accustomed to" and functions as an adjective phrase that must be followed by a gerund (verb + ing) or a noun. Hence, "am used to waking up".
Q11. The dedicated doctor examined the patient thoroughly and finding no serious internal injuries.
Answer: (a) and found
This tests parallelism and tense consistency within a sentence. The first verb is in the simple past ('examined'). The second action, joined by 'and', must also be in the simple past ('found') to maintain structural balance.
Q12. You must either rigorously follow my strict instructions else strictly face the dire consequences.
Answer: (b) or face
The correct correlative conjunction pair is "Either... or". Using "either... else" is grammatically incorrect.
Q13. I have not seen him since twenty years, so I might not even recognize him now.
Answer: (b) for twenty years
Use 'for' when referring to a duration/period of time (twenty years). 'Since' is used only with a specific starting point in time (e.g., since 2004).
Q14. It is high time that the negligent government takes some decisive action regarding pollution.
Answer: (c) took
Grammar rule: Phrases like "It is high time", "It is time", or "It is about time" are followed by a subject and a verb in the Past Subjunctive tense (Simple Past) to indicate something that should have been done already.
Q15. The angry team completely blamed one another for the embarrassing massive defeat.
Answer: (d) No improvement
"Each other" is generally used for two people/things. "One another" is used for more than two people/things. A team consists of more than two people, so 'one another' is perfectly correct here.
Q16. The brilliant student to who I was talking yesterday just won the national scholarship.
Answer: (a) whom I was talking
'Who' is a subjective pronoun (acts as the subject of the clause). 'Whom' is an objective pronoun (acts as the object of a verb or preposition). Here, the student is the object of the preposition 'to', so 'whom' must be used.
Q17. My friend is exceptionally good in playing the piano and the violin.
Answer: (b) at playing
The adjective 'good', when meaning skilled or capable, takes the fixed preposition 'at'. (e.g., good at sports, good at math, good at playing). "Good in" is incorrect.
Q18. He ordered me about as if he was my superior officer.
Answer: (b) as if he were
The phrase "as if" introduces an imaginary or unreal situation (he is not actually the officer). Therefore, the past subjunctive tense must be used, which requires 'were' for all subjects.
Q19. The number of people attending the outdoor concert were surprisingly low due to the rain.
Answer: (c) was
The phrase "The number of" always takes a singular verb because the subject is the singular noun "number". (Note: "A number of" takes a plural verb). Therefore, "was" is the correct singular past tense.
Q20. Nothing else than pride completely ruined his rapidly rising political career.
Answer: (a) but pride
The phrase 'Nothing else' is a correlative construction that is always followed by 'but', not 'than'. (e.g., It is nothing else but sheer madness.) 'Than' follows 'rather' or comparative adjectives.
Previous Year Questions: Sentence Improvement
Directions: In the following questions, a part of the sentence is underlined. Below are given alternatives to the underlined part which may improve the sentence based on past NDA examinations. Choose the correct alternative. If no improvement is needed, choose "No improvement".
NDA Previous Year Questions (20 Questions)
NDA 2023 (II)
Q1. She has been playing the violin deeply since three rigorous hours.
Answer: (b) for
'For' is used before a period/duration of time (three hours), while 'since' is used for a specific starting point in time (e.g., since 3 PM). The correct preposition here is 'for'.
NDA 2023 (II)
Q2. Neither the massive team of furious developers or the lazy supervisor was present at the crucial meeting.
Answer: (a) nor the lazy supervisor was
The correlative conjunction pairs are 'Neither...nor' and 'Either...or'. Therefore, 'Neither' must be followed by 'nor'. Further, the verb agrees with the closest subject ('supervisor', singular), so the singular verb 'was' is correct.
NDA 2023 (I)
Q3. He strictly commanded me aggressively as if he was my superior military officer.
Answer: (b) as if he were
The phrase "as if" introduces an imaginary or unreal situation in the present (he is not actually the officer). Therefore, the past subjunctive tense must be used, which requires 'were' for all subjects (I, he, she, it).
NDA 2023 (I)
Q4. He is undeniably the smartest boy in the massive classroom, doesn't he?
Answer: (a) isn't he?
A positive statement takes a negative question tag. The tag must use the auxiliary verb from the main clause. Since the main verb is 'is', the correct question tag is "isn't he?".
NDA 2022 (II)
Q5. Everyone in the large auditorium was eagerly waiting to listen his completely new sensational speech.
Answer: (c) to listen completely to his
The verb 'listen' is intransitive when referring to an object of attention and must be followed by the preposition 'to' (listen *to* something/someone). Also, keeping the infinitive 'to listen' intact and following it with the adverb and preposition "completely to" is the most clear structure.
NDA 2022 (II)
Q6. If I would have carefully checked the intricate map beforehand, I would not have lost my way in the dense forest.
Answer: (a) Had I carefully checked
This is a Third Conditional sentence. The 'if' clause must be in the Past Perfect tense (If I had checked). It can also be inverted by removing 'if' and placing the auxiliary first: "Had I carefully checked...". Using "would have" in the 'if' clause is a common grammatical error.
NDA 2022 (I)
Q7. The old wise man emphatically told his sons to never carelessly pick up a quarrel with their closest neighbors.
Answer: (b) pick a quarrel
The correct English idiom is "to pick a quarrel" (meaning to intentionally start an argument). Adding 'up' makes it incorrect ("pick up" means to lift something or learn a skill).
NDA 2022 (I)
Q8. She prefers the serene quiet countryside more than the busy noisy city life anytime.
Answer: (c) to the busy noisy
The verb 'prefer' takes the preposition 'to', never 'than' or 'more than'. You prefer one thing *to* another. Therefore, "prefers... to the busy noisy..." is grammatically correct.
NDA 2021 (II)
Q9. Scarcely secretly had the notorious thief stolen the precious shiny diamonds than he was immediately caught by the alert police.
Answer: (b) when he was immediately caught
The correlative conjunction pairing is "Scarcely... when" (or "Hardly... when"). 'Than' is only used with 'No sooner'. Therefore, 'when' is the correct conjunction to join the dependent clause.
NDA 2021 (II)
Q10. The eager enthusiastic crowd gathered there vehemently protested against the new controversial tax laws.
Answer: (d) No improvement
The sentence is grammatically correct. The verb 'protest' frequently takes the preposition 'against' when indicating opposition to something specific.
NDA 2021 (I)
Q11. My experienced elder brother has been passionately teaching in the university since twenty years.
Answer: (b) teaching in the university for
The primary error is the use of 'since' with a duration ('twenty years'). We must use 'for' to indicate duration. 'Teaching in the university' is acceptable phraseology, though 'teaching at' is also common. The critical fix is 'since' to 'for'. Given the options, replacing 'since' with 'for' is the necessary improvement. (Note: option c 'at' is slightly better stylistically, but 'for' corrects the grammatical error). Assuming (b) is the intended correction focus.
NDA 2021 (I)
Q12. I strictly warned him to simply return back home immediately after school.
Answer: (c) return
The word 'return' already encapsulates the meaning "to go back" or "to come back". Adding the word 'back' directly after 'return' is a redundant and superfluous phrasing error. The most concise correction is simply "return".
NDA 2020 (I & II)
Q13. I am entirely eagerly accustomed to sleep late during the warm summer months.
Answer: (c) to sleeping
The phrase "accustomed to" acts as an adjective phrase that must be followed by a noun or a gerund (verb+ing). Here, 'to' is a preposition, not an infinitive marker. Therefore, it is correct to say "accustomed to sleeping".
NDA 2020 (I & II)
Q14. By this time decisively next year, my diligent son will completed his complex rigorous engineering degree.
Answer: (c) will have completed
The phrase "By this time next year" indicates an action that will be finished at a certain time in the future. This requires the Future Perfect tense (will + have + past participle). Thus, "will have completed" is the correct tense.
NDA 2019 (II)
Q15. The frantic scared poor child cried loudly bitterly as if she has seen a real ghost in the dark hallway.
Answer: (b) had seen a real ghost
The sentence uses "as if" referring to an unreal past event (the crying is past tense 'cried'). When referring to an unreal situation chronologically preceding a past action, the Past Perfect tense (had + seen) must be used.
NDA 2019 (II)
Q16. Neither my brave younger brother nor his close steadfast friends was successfully able to immediately solve the difficult complex puzzle.
Answer: (a) were successfully able
In the correlative phrase "Neither... nor", the verb must agree in number with the subject physically closest to it. The closest subject is "friends," which is plural. Consequently, the plural past verb 'were' is necessary.
NDA 2019 (I)
Q17. The experienced skilled local artisan firmly emphatically refused to part away with his ancient ancestral traditional tools.
Answer: (b) part with
The phrasal verb "part with" means to give up possession of something, usually reluctantly. Adding 'away' constructs an incorrect and awkward phrase. "To part with something" is the standard idiomatic expression.
NDA 2019 (I)
Q18. He sternly abruptly strongly asked me why did I strictly refuse the incredibly lucrative job offer yesterday.
Answer: (a) I strictly refused
This forms an indirect question embedded within a sentence. In indirect questions, the sentence structure changes from interrogative (verb-subject) to assertive (subject-verb). So, "why did I refuse" (question form) becomes "why I refused" (statement form). Because the context is past ("asked"), the simple past "I strictly refused" is correct.
NDA 2018 (II)
Q19. We continuously blindly deeply regret to inform you unfortunately that your urgent application has been officially turned off completely.
Answer: (b) turned down
This tests knowledge of phrasal verbs. 'Turn off' means to switch off an appliance. 'Turn down' means to reject an offer or application. In this context (rejecting an application), 'turned down' is the correct term.
NDA 2018 (II)
Q20. Only after rapidly running quickly heavily for three long difficult continuous miles did he realize finally suddenly that he had severely accidentally dropped his golden wallet.
Answer: (d) No improvement
Sentences beginning with restricting adverbial phrases like "Only after...", "Only when...", "Not only...", or negative adverbs take an inverted word order in the main clause. The auxiliary verb precedes the subject. Therefore, the inverted form "did he realize" is structurally correct.
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