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.
Shapes of gods and goddesses are worshipped by people.
Answer: A
It should read images.
What is worshipped is an image of a god - a representation made for that purpose. A shape is merely a form, and carries none of the sense of a made likeness.
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In addition to enhanced their reputations through the strategic use of philanthropy, companies are sponsoring social initiatives to open new markets.
Answer: C
It should read to enhancing their reputation.
In addition to is a prepositional phrase, and to here is a preposition, not the marker of an infinitive - so it takes the gerund. The same rule governs look forward to seeing and object to being told.
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In the sentence below, a part is printed in bold. Choose the alternative that best replaces it. If no improvement is needed, choose ‘No correction required’.
The proposal was rejected inspite of the strong support it received.
Answer: D
Correct answer: in spite of
In spite of is always written as three separate words. Inspite is not a word in standard English, though it is very common in Indian writing. The related trap is despite, which takes no of at all: one writes despite the support or in spite of the support, never despite of. The two expressions mean the same thing and differ only in construction. Both are followed by a noun or a gerund, never by a clause: in spite of being tired, not in spite of he was tired. To introduce a clause the conjunctions although or even though are needed. The same one-word-versus-two confusion affects a lot, in front of and no one, all of which are frequently run together in error.
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The police have so far succeeded in recovering only a part of the stolen property.
Answer: E
No correction is required.
Succeeded in recovering is correct: succeed in takes a gerund. So far is the right adverbial for an action continuing to the present, and only a part correctly limits what has been recovered.
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He confidently asked the crowd if they thought he was right, and the crowd shouted that they did.
Answer: E
No correction is required.
In reported speech the crowd shouted that they did echoes the question he was right with the auxiliary did standing for thought so. The pronoun they matches the crowd as the speakers, and the tense sequence is consistent.
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Why should the candidates be afraid of the English language is not clear.
Answer: A
It should read the candidates should be.
The clause is the subject of is not clear, so it is a noun clause, not a question, and takes statement word order: why the candidates should be afraid. Inversion belongs only to direct questions.
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He found the gold coin as he cleans the floor.
Answer: D
It should read while cleaning.
The two actions were simultaneous and share a subject, so the reduced clause while cleaning is the neat form. As he cleans puts a present tense beside the past found, which cannot stand.
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In the sentence below, a part is printed in bold. Choose the alternative that best replaces it. If no improvement is needed, choose ‘No correction required’.
The evidences produced in court were not sufficient to convict him.
Answer: B
Correct answer: evidence produced in court was
Evidence is uncountable in English: it has no plural, so evidences is wrong, and it takes a singular verb, so were is wrong too. Both faults must be corrected together. To refer to separate items one says pieces of evidence or items of evidence. It belongs to the group of nouns that are uncountable in English although countable in many Indian languages, and the whole set is worth learning: information, advice, furniture, luggage, baggage, machinery, stationery, equipment, scenery, poetry, bread, news and work. None takes an -s, none takes a or an, and all take singular verbs. They are quantified with much and less rather than many and fewer: much evidence, less information.
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In the sentence below, a part is printed in bold. Choose the alternative that best replaces it. If no improvement is needed, choose ‘No correction required’.
He was accused with stealing the documents from the office.
Answer: C
Correct answer: of
Accuse takes the preposition of: he was accused of stealing. The verb it is most often confused with is charge, which takes with: he was charged with theft. Learning the pair together is the surest way to keep them apart. A wider group of verbs takes fixed prepositions in the same way, and each must be memorised rather than reasoned out: blame someone for, suspect someone of, convict someone of, acquit someone of, punish someone for, prosecute someone for and indict someone for. Note that accuse of is followed by a noun or a gerund - of stealing, of theft - never by an infinitive. The passive form used here, was accused of, keeps the same preposition as the active they accused him of.
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She cooks, washes dishes, does her homework and then relaxing.
Answer: D
It should read then relaxes.
The sentence lists four things she does, and the first three are present simple - cooks, washes, does. The fourth must match: relaxes. This is parallelism, and a participle breaks it.
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