SF Prep
09 General English — Common Notes 🕒 Updated 2026-10-16
Common Notes SSC CGL · CHSL · Police · Bank · Railway Chapter 09

✏️ Sentence Improvement

A part of the sentence is bold/underlined; choose a better replacement or "No improvement". All error-spotting rules apply here too.

📑 Topics on this page (Jump to Topic):
1. Approach 2. Common Improvement Patterns 3. Practice MCQs

📌 1. Approach

  • Read the whole sentence first and identify the role of the underlined part (verb? preposition? idiom?).
  • Plug each option into the sentence — the one that is grammatical, concise and keeps the meaning is right.
  • If two options seem right, choose the shorter, more direct one (no redundancy).
  • Choose "No improvement" only if the underlined part is fully correct — it is right in roughly 15–20% of questions.

📌 2. Common Improvement Patterns

Wrong patternImprovement
I am knowing him for years.I have known him for years.
He insisted to go.He insisted on going.
She is used to work late.She is used to working late. (be used to + V-ing)
He made me to laugh.He made me laugh. (make/let/see/hear + bare infinitive)
I look forward to meet you.I look forward to meeting you.
Hardly he had left when…Hardly had he left when… (inversion)
Neither of them have come.Neither of them has come.
He is more cleverer.He is cleverer.
It is I who is to blame.It is I who am to blame.
He avoided to meet me.He avoided meeting me. (avoid/enjoy/finish/mind + V-ing)
💡 Memory Tip: Verbs taking a gerund: avoid, enjoy, finish, mind, practise, deny, admit, consider, suggest, look forward to, be used to, object to. Verbs taking an infinitive: want, decide, hope, agree, refuse, plan, promise.
⚠️ Exam Traps:
  • "Used to + V1" (past habit) and "be used to + V-ing" (be accustomed to) are different.
  • Inversion: starting with Never/Seldom/Rarely/Not only/Hardly → auxiliary + subject: Seldom does he smile.

📌 3. Practice MCQs

📝 Practice MCQs (prepared by SF Prep — not PYQs)
Q1. Improve the bold part: I am knowing her since childhood. Practice
(A) have known
(B) knew
(C) am known
(D) No improvement
Correct answer: (A) have known
Explanation: Stative 'know' + since → present perfect.
Q2. Improve the bold part: He insisted to go alone. Practice
(A) for going
(B) on going
(C) to going
(D) No improvement
Correct answer: (B) on going
Explanation: Insist + on + V-ing.
Q3. Improve the bold part: I look forward to meet you soon. Practice
(A) have met
(B) be meeting
(C) meeting
(D) No improvement
Correct answer: (C) meeting
Explanation: In 'look forward to', 'to' is a preposition → V-ing.
Q4. Improve the bold part: The teacher made him to stand outside. Practice
(A) stand
(B) standing
(C) stood
(D) No improvement
Correct answer: (A) stand
Explanation: Make + object + bare infinitive (no 'to').
Q5. Improve the bold part: She avoided to answer the question. Practice
(A) to answering
(B) answering
(C) answer
(D) No improvement
Correct answer: (B) answering
Explanation: 'Avoid' is followed by a gerund.
Q6. Improve the bold part: Seldom he visits his parents. Practice
(A) Seldom he visited
(B) Seldom visits he
(C) Seldom does he visit
(D) No improvement
Correct answer: (C) Seldom does he visit
Explanation: Starting with a negative adverb → inversion: Seldom does he visit.
Q7. Improve the bold part: It is I who is responsible. Practice
(A) am
(B) are
(C) was
(D) No improvement
Correct answer: (A) am
Explanation: The antecedent of 'who' is 'I' → am.
Q8. Improve the bold part: She is used to work late at night. Practice
(A) worked
(B) working
(C) have worked
(D) No improvement
Correct answer: (B) working
Explanation: 'Be used to' (accustomed) + V-ing.
Q9. Improve the bold part: He used to play cricket when he was young. Practice
(A) was used to play
(B) use to played
(C) used to playing
(D) No improvement
Correct answer: (D) No improvement
Explanation: 'Used to + V1' correctly shows a past habit.
Q10. Improve the bold part: Neither of the two candidates have applied. Practice
(A) has
(B) are
(C) were
(D) No improvement
Correct answer: (A) has
Explanation: 'Neither of' takes a singular verb.
Q11. Improve the bold part: If I was the Prime Minister, I would ban plastic. Practice
(A) am
(B) were
(C) had been
(D) No improvement
Correct answer: (B) were
Explanation: Imaginary condition → were.
Q12. Improve the bold part: Hardly he had reached home when it began to rain. Practice
(A) he reached
(B) did he reached
(C) had he reached
(D) No improvement
Correct answer: (C) had he reached
Explanation: Starting with 'Hardly' → inversion: had he reached.
Q13. Improve the bold part: He gave up to smoke last year. Practice
(A) gave up smoking
(B) gave up smoke
(C) gave to smoking
(D) No improvement
Correct answer: (A) gave up smoking
Explanation: 'Give up' + gerund.
Q14. Improve the bold part: The reason for his failure is because he was lazy. Practice
(A) was because
(B) is that
(C) is due to
(D) No improvement
Correct answer: (B) is that
Explanation: 'Reason … because' is redundant; use 'The reason is that…'.
Q15. Improve the bold part: Let him to go home. Practice
(A) going
(B) goes
(C) go
(D) No improvement
Correct answer: (C) go
Explanation: Let + bare infinitive.
Q16. Improve the bold part: He is more stronger than his brother. Practice
(A) stronger
(B) most strong
(C) much strong
(D) No improvement
Correct answer: (A) stronger
Explanation: Double comparatives are wrong → stronger.
Q17. Improve the bold part: Would you mind to close the door? Practice
(A) to closing
(B) closing
(C) close
(D) No improvement
Correct answer: (B) closing
Explanation: 'Mind' is followed by a gerund.
Q18. Improve the bold part: Not only he is intelligent but also hard-working. Practice
(A) Not only he was
(B) He not only is
(C) Not only is he
(D) No improvement
Correct answer: (C) Not only is he
Explanation: A sentence beginning with 'Not only' needs inversion: Not only is he…
Q19. Improve the bold part: She has decided to join the army. Practice
(A) joining
(B) for joining
(C) to joining
(D) No improvement
Correct answer: (D) No improvement
Explanation: 'Decide' correctly takes an infinitive.
Q20. Improve the bold part: Please revert back at the earliest. Practice
(A) revert back again
(B) reply
(C) return back
(D) No improvement
Correct answer: (B) reply
Explanation: 'Revert back' is redundant; reply/respond is correct.

📝 Practice questions

General English — Practice MCQs Ch 9: Sentence Improvement
📝 Test this chapter Practice questions

Practice MCQs prepared by SF Prep (not PYQs). Rules checked against standard grammar references.