Which of phrases given below each sentence should replace the phrase printed in bold type to make the grammatically correct? If the sentence is correct as it is, mark 'E' as the answer.
Despite of their differences on matters of principle, they all agree on the demand for a hike in salary.
Answer: A
It should read despite their.
Despite already means in spite of, so despite of is a doubling of the preposition. It is either despite their differences or in spite of their differences, never a mixture of the two.
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The man who has committed such a serious crime must get the mostly severe punishment.
Answer: B
It should read get the most severe.
Severe is an adjective describing punishment, so its superlative is the most severe. Mostly means for the greater part and cannot form a superlative at all.
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For many centuries in Indian History there was no city so famous like the city of Ujjain.
Answer: A
It should read as.
The construction is so ... as in a negative comparison - no city so famous as Ujjain. Like introduces a resemblance, not a degree, and cannot follow so.
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We don't know how did the thief made an escape.
Answer: C
It should read how the thief made.
The clause after we don't know is a noun clause, not a question, so it takes statement word order with no auxiliary: how the thief made his escape. Did also cannot stand beside the past tense made.
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He is a singer of repute, but his yesterday's performance was quite disappointing.
Answer: E
No correction is required.
His yesterday's performance is acceptable - the possessive attaches to yesterday, and performance is singular, so was is right. Each alternative either drops the possessive or puts a plural verb with a singular noun.
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Their earnings are such that they find it difficult to make both ends to meet.
Answer: C
It should read to make both ends meet.
Make both ends meet is a fixed idiom, and make here takes the bare infinitive: make the ends meet, not make them to meet. The image is of the two ends of a household account being brought together.
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He has received no other message than an urgent telegram asking him to rush his village immediately.
Answer: C
It should read asking him to rush to his village.
Rush in this sense is intransitive and needs to before a destination - rush to the village. Asking is right as it stands, since the telegram is doing the asking.
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One of the most significant phenomenons of our time has been the development of cinema.
Answer: B
It should read phenomena.
Phenomenon is a Greek singular and its plural is phenomena, like criterion and criteria. Phenomenons is used only of exceptional people, and even then rarely.
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Had you been told me about your problem, I would have helped you.
Answer: C
It should read had you told.
Inverting had is the way to form a third conditional without if - had you told me is exactly if you had told me. Been cannot stand between had and told, and if you would have is never correct in the if-clause.
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It was until many years later that Gandhi became a rebel against authority.
Answer: A
It should read it was not until many years.
The idiom is it was not until X that Y - the negative is essential, since the sentence means Gandhi did not become a rebel for many years. Without not the sentence says the opposite of what it means.
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