Dear Students, It's the exams times. You have many exams lined up such as SBI PO, BOB PO, Dena Bank PO, RBI Grade- B scheduled in the upcoming days or months. Recently, New Pattern English Questions have been asked in many exams. So, we are providing these 15 Sentence Correction Questions, which are high in difficulty level, Practice and test your understanding of English language.
Directions (1-15): For each of the following questions, a part or the whole of the original sentence has been highlighted in bold. You have to find the best way of writing the bold part of the sentence. Option A repeats the bold part, if the bold part is grammatically correct then choose option A.
Q1. Sales of wines declined in the late 1980s, but they began to grow again after the 1991 report that linked moderate consumption of alcohol, and particularly of red wine, with a reduced risk of heart disease.
(a) they began to grow again after the 1991 report that linked moderate consumption of alcohol, and particularly of red wine, with a reduced risk of heart disease
(b) after the 1991 report that linked a reduced risk of heart disease with a moderate alcohol consumption, particularly red wine, they began growing again
(c) in a 1991 report, moderate alcohol consumption, and particularly of red wine, which was linked with a reduced risk of heart disease, caused them to begin to grow again
(d) with a reduced risk of heart disease linked in a 1991 report with moderate alcohol consumption, in particular red wine, they began growing again
(e) a reduced risk of heart disease linked to moderate alcohol consumption in a 1991 report, and in particular red wine, started them growing again
Q2. A wildlife expert predicts that the reintroduction of the caribou into northern Minnesota would fail if the density of the timber wolf population in that region is more numerous than one wolf for every 39 square miles.
(a) would fail if the density of the timber wolf population in that region is more numerous
(b) would fail provided the density of the timber wolf population in that region is more
(c) should fail if the timber wolf density in that region was greater
(d) will fail if the density of the timber wolf population in that region is greater
(e) will fail if the timber wolf density in that region were more numerous
Q3. She was less successful after she had emigrated to New York compared to her native Germany, photographer Lotte Jacobi nevertheless earned a small group of discerning admirers, and her photographs were eventually exhibited in prestigious galleries across the United States.
(a) She was less successful after she had emigrated to New York compared to
(b) Being less successful after she had emigrated to New York as compared to
(c) Less successful after she emigrated to New York than she had been in
(d) Although she was less successful after emigrating to New York when compared to
(e) She had been less successful after emigrating to New York than in
Q4. Found throughout Central and South America, sloths hang from trees by long rubbery limbs and sleep 15 hours a day, moving infrequently enough that two species of algae grow on its coat and between its toes.
(a) sloths hang from trees by long rubbery limbs and sleep 15 hours a day, moving infrequently enough
(b) sloths hang from trees by long rubbery limbs, they sleep 15 hours a day, and with such infrequent movements
(c) sloths use their long rubbery limbs to hang from trees, sleep 15 hours a day, and move so infrequently
(d) the sloth hangs from trees by its long rubbery limbs, sleeping 15 hours a day and moving so infrequently
(e) the sloth hangs from trees by its long rubbery limbs, sleeps 15 hours a day, and it moves infrequently enough
Q5. Today, because of improvements in agricultural technology, the same amount of acreage produces double the apples that it has in 1910.
(a) double the apples that it has
(b) twice as many apples as it did
(c) as much as twice the apples it has
(d) two times as many apples as there were
(e) a doubling of the apples that it did
Q6. The use of lie detectors is based on the assumption that lying produces emotional reactions in an individual that, in turn, create unconscious physiological responses.
(a) that, in turn, create unconscious physiological responses
(b) that creates unconscious physiological responses in turn
(c) creating, in turn, unconscious physiological responses
(d) to create, in turn, physiological responses that are unconscious
(e) who creates unconscious physiological responses in turn
Q7. Joan of Arc, a young Frenchwoman who claimed to be divinely inspired, turned the tide of English victories in her country by liberating the city of Orleans and she persuaded Charles VII of France to claim his throne.
(a) she persuaded Charles VII of France to claim his throne
(b) persuaded Charles VII of France in claiming his throne
(c) persuading that the throne be claimed by Charles VII of France
(d) persuaded Charles VII of France to claim his throne
(e) persuading that Charles VII of France should claim the throne
Q8. Australian embryologists have found evidence that suggests that the elephant is descended from an aquatic animal, and its trunk originally evolving as a kind of snorkel.
(a) that suggests that the elephant is descended from an aquatic animal, and its trunk originally evolving
(b) that has suggested the elephant descended from an aquatic animal, its trunk originally evolving
(c) suggesting that the elephant had descended from an aquatic animal with its trunk originally evolved
(d) to suggest that the elephant had descended from an aquatic animal and its trunk originally evolved
(e) to suggest that the elephant is descended from an aquatic animal and that its trunk originally evolved
Q9. Cajuns speak a dialect brought to southern Louisiana by the 4,000 Acadians who migrated there in 1755; their language is basically seventeenth-century French to which has been added English, Spanish, and Italian words.
(a) to which has been added English, Spanish, and Italian words
(b) added to which is English, Spanish, and Italian words
(c) to which English, Spanish, and Italian words have been added
(d) with English, Spanish, and Italian words having been added to it
(e) and, in addition, English, Spanish, and Italian words are added
Q10. One view of the economy contends that a large drop in oil prices should eventually lead to lowering interest rates, as well as lowering fears about inflation, a rally in stocks and bonds, and a weakening of the dollar.
(a) lowering interest rates, as well as lowering fears about inflation,
(b) a lowering of interest rates and of fears about inflation,
(c) a lowering of interest rates, along with fears about inflation,
(d) interest rates being lowered, along with fears about inflation,
(e) interest rates and fears about inflation being lowered, with
Q11. Over 75 percent of the energy produced in France derives from nuclear power, while in Germany it is just over 33 percent.
(a) while in Germany it is just over 33 percent
(b) compared to Germany, which uses just over 33 percent
(c) whereas nuclear power accounts for just over 33 percent of the energy produced in Germany
(d) whereas just over 33 percent of the energy comes from nuclear power in Germany
(e) compared with the energy from nuclear power in Germany, where it is just over 33 percent
Q12. Although the term “psychopath” is popularly applied to an especially brutal criminal, in psychology it is someone who is apparently incapable of feeling compassion or the pangs of conscience.
(a) it is someone who is
(b) it is a person
(c) they are people who are
(d) it refers to someone who is
(e) it is in reference to people
Q13. Last week local shrimpers held a news conference to take some credit for the resurgence of the rare Kemp’s ridley turtle, saying that their compliance with laws requiring that turtle-excluder devices be on shrimp nets protect adult sea turtles.
(a) requiring that turtle-excluder devices be on shrimp nets protect
(b) requiring turtle-excluder devices on shrimp nets is protecting
(c) that require turtle-excluder devices on shrimp nets protect
(d) to require turtle-excluder devices on shrimp nets are protecting
(e) to require turtle-excluder devices on shrimp nets is protecting
Q14. Recently implemented “shift-work equations” based on studies of the human sleep cycle have reduced sickness, sleeping on the job, fatigue among shift workers, and have raised production efficiency in various industries.
(a) fatigue among shift workers, and have raised
(b) fatigue among shift workers, and raised
(c) and fatigue among shift workers while raising
(d) lowered fatigue among shift workers, and raised
(e) and fatigue among shift workers was lowered while raising
Q15. Spanning more than 50 years, Friedrich Muller began his career in an unpromising apprenticeship as a Sanskrit scholar and culminated in virtually every honor that European governments and learned societies could bestow.
(a) Muller began his career in an unpromising apprenticeship as
(b) Muller’s career began in an unpromising apprenticeship as
(c) Muller’s career began with the unpromising apprenticeship of being
(d) Muller had begun his career with the unpromising apprenticeship of being
(e) the career of Muller has begun with an unpromising apprenticeship of
S1. Ans.(a)
Sol. Logical predication; Rhetorical construction
This sentence explains why a trend of declining wine sales reversed after the publication of a 1991 report suggesting that moderate consumption of red wine correlated with reduced risk of heart disease. The phrase particularly of red wine modifies consumption of alcohol, and the sentence must make clear that it is moderate consumption, not red wine that the report links to reduced risk.
(a) Correct. In the second clause, they refers correctly to sales of wines; the relative clause beginning with that clearly indicates that the report linked moderate consumption … with a reduced risk.
S2. Ans.(d)
Sol. Verb form: Diction
A prediction is made about a future event, which can be restated using the construction y will happen if x happens first (an alternate form is if x happens, y will happen). The subjunctive verb form would expresses remoteness and thus casts some doubt on the likelihood of x. The verb form will fail expresses the likelihood x with greater certainty. Density is not a countable quantity, so it cannot be modified by more numerous, which is used solely for countable quantities; greater is correct.
(d) Correct. The verb form will fail better expresses the certainty of the prediction; density is appropriately modified by greater.
S3. Ans.(c)
Sol. Idiom; Grammatical construction; Logical predication
This sentence compares the success Jacobi experienced after moving to New York to the success she had previously experienced in Germany. The phrase less successful anticipates the conclusion of the comparison with the phrase than… The main subject of the sentence is photographer Lotte Jacobi, and the main verb is earned. The opening clause She was less successful… therefore creates a comma splice if the comma is not followed by a conjunction. The most efficient way to incorporate the information about Jacobi’s comparative success in Germany and in New York is to turn this clause into an adjectival phrase describing Jacobi.
(c) Correct. The idiomatic construction less successful … than is incorporated into an introductory adjectival phrase modifying Lotte Jacobi.
S4. Ans.(d)
Sol. Agreement; Idiom
The plural sloths in the underlined section of the sentence does not agree with the singular its (its coat, its toes) in the given section of the sentence, and so sloths must be replaced by the sloth. When its is then inserted before long rubbery limbs, it becomes clear that the limbs belong to the sloth, not the trees. The phrase moving infrequently enough that is not idiomatic. The correct construction is so x that y: moving so infrequently that two species…
(d) Correct. The sloth agrees with its; the construction moving so x that y is properly used in this sentence.
S5. Ans.(b)
Sol. Logical predication; Diction; Verb form
The sentence compares the number of apples produced today with the number of apples produced in 1910. The phrase double the apples is not very exact but it could be understood to mean twice as many or as many as; the verb form has confounds the sequence of events and makes the comparison illogical. An action that occurred in 1910 requires a verb in the past tense. The two elements being compared must be grammatically parallel. The same amount … produce is paralleled by as it did (produce understood). The subjects amount and it are parallel, as are the verbs produces and did (produce).
(b) Correct. As many as is used for a countable quantity; the two elements being compared are parallel; the verb is in the past tense.
S6. Ans.(a)
Sol. Agreement; Rhetorical construction; Logical predication
This sentence describes a cause-and-effect sequence; in the underlined portion of the sentence, the relative pronoun that refers to the plural noun reactions. The verb in the relative clause must therefore be a plural verb. The causal sequence is most clearly expressed by a relative clause that turns the object emotional reactions (from the clause lying causes emotional reactions in an individual) into the subject (that) of a new clause (that in turn create unconscious physiological responses). In turn is best placed before the verb of the second relative clause, create, to clarify that a chain of events is being described.
(a) Correct. This construction clearly indicated the causal sequence.
S7. Ans.(d)
Sol. Parallelism
Because this sentence consists of many parts, including lengthy modifiers (a young Frenchwoman …; by liberating …), it is crucial to make the basic structure of it – the subject and verbs of the main clause – as clear and as concisely expressed as possible. Joan of Arc is the subject, turned is the first verb of the main clause, and persuaded is the second verb; so the sentence should be Joan … turned … and persuaded. Inserting she before the second verb both violates the parallelism and adds an unnecessary word.
(d) Correct. In this sentence, persuaded is parallel to turned, and the idiomatic construction persuade x to do y is used.
S8. Ans.(e)
Sol. Parallelism; Verb form
The clearest, most economical way of expressing the two things suggested by Australian embryologists’ evidence is to format them as relative clauses serving as parallel direct objects of the verb suggest. It is awkward and confusing to string together relative clauses: evidence that suggests that the elephant… A clearer way of making this connection is to turn the verb suggests into a participle modifying evidence. The word descended is a predicate adjective following the present-tense verb is and describing the present-day elephant. The verb evolved should be past tense because it describes how the trunk of the elephant originally evolved, not how it is evolving today.
(e) Correct. The two dependent clauses beginning with that are in parallel form and contain verbs in the correct tenses.
S9. Ans.(c)
Sol. Agreement; Logical predication
The sentence describes the Cajun language as seventeenth-century French and then modifies that description by noting the addition of words from other languages. Since words is a plural noun, a plural verb is required. The inverted word order in the original sentence is awkward.
(c) Correct. The relative clause in this sentence has the correct verb form, and its placement makes it clear that it modifies the noun French. The clause also follows normal subject-verb word order.
S10. Ans.(b)
Sol. Parallelism; Diction
The sentence uses parallel structure to describe the anticipated effects of a drop in oil prices. Parallel noun phrases list two effects, a rally … and a weakening, so the first effect in the series must be written as a lowering. Lowering is a participle, whereas a lowering is a gerund and functions as a noun. For the sake of both clarity and conciseness, the effects on interest rates and fears should be combined into a single noun phrase: a lowering of interest rates and of fears about inflation.
(b) Correct. The series a lowering… a rally … and a weakening uses parallel structure correctly; a lowering of interest rates and of fears gracefully combines two effects in this sentence.
S11. Ans.(c)
Sol. Rhetorical construction; Logical predication
This sentence compares percentages and uses the prepositional phrases in France and in Germany to distinguish the percentage of energy in each country coming from nuclear power. This information is most efficiently and clearly presented in two clauses joined by the conjunction whereas, which signifies a difference between the situations in the two countries. Each clause must identify what the percentage refers to – that is, the portion of the respective country’s energy that comes from nuclear power.
(c) Correct. The two clauses joined by whereas indicate clearly that the comparison is between the different percentages of energy coming from nuclear power.
S12. Ans.(d)
Sol. Logical predication; Grammatical construction; Agreement
The intent of the sentence is to define the term “psychopath.” In this sentence, the pronoun it refers back to the term and seems illogically to refer forward to someone. Logically, an inanimate term cannot be a person or someone. The sentence needs to be reworded so that it is clear that “psychopath” is a term used to define a specific kind of person.
(d) Correct. In this sentence, the verb refers clearly links the term to a particular kind of person; the alignment of pronouns and antecedents is both logical and grammatical.
S13. Ans.(b)
Sol. Rhetorical construction; Agreement
The subject of the clause introduced by saying that is the singular noun compliance. This subject requires the singular form of the verb protect. The clearest, most economical way to describe the laws in question is to follow the word laws with a present participle requiring. To use an infinitive, to require, seems to indicate that requiring these devices is the objective of the laws, when in fact the objective is to protect the sea turtles.
(b) Correct. The singular verb is protecting agrees with the singular subject compliance, and the participial phrase beginning with requiring concisely and accurately describes the laws.
S14. Ans.(c)
Sol. Grammatical construction
Implementing the equations has reduced sickness, sleeping on the job, and fatigue; at the same time, it has increased efficiency. The three parallel elements (have reduced x, y, and z) require and before the final element.
(c) Correct. The use of 'and' in this sentence unites the three parallel elements; the phrase while raising provides a clear contrast with have reduced.
S15. Ans.(b)
Sol. Logical predication; Idiom
What spanned more than 50 years? It was Muller’s career that spanned 50 years and culminated in virtually every honor. The correct subject of the sentence must be Muller’s career.
(b) Correct. Using Muller’s career as the subject of the sentence solves the modification problem with spanning … and provides a logical subject for culminated.
