Sentence Improvement Questions and Answers

Answer: A

The correction is was discovered.

The sentence is in the past ('It was of utmost importance'), and the rebuilding came after an earlier past event, the discovery. The verb must be a past passive: 'after the felony was discovered'.

'Is discover' is ungrammatical, 'is discovered' is in the present and clashes with 'was', and 'will be discovered' puts the discovery in the future, which contradicts the sequence of events.

Answer: B

It should read who demanded.

The relative pronoun refers to politicians and lawyers, who are people, so it must be who, not which or that in this context. The tense stays simple past to match the rest of the report.

Answer: D

It should read is usual.

Than introduces a clause here, and a clause needs a verb: larger than is usual for a police station. Without it the comparison has nothing to attach to.

Answer: E

It should read the minister could have easily won the elections.

The subject of the main clause must be named, since he has no antecedent - the party, not the minister, is what the if-clause is about. Could have won also fits a statement about capability better than would have won.

Answer: D

It should read indicates the poor law and order situation there and therefore.

The subject is the increase, which is singular, so the verb is indicates - the plural crimes in between is only part of a prepositional phrase. The second that is redundant once therefore has been used.

Answer: C

It is sentence 3.

For want of is the fixed idiom meaning because of a lack - for want of a nail the shoe was lost. Due to, because of and owing to all mean because of, but none of them takes want in this bare form.

Answer: D

It is sentence 4.

Stare someone in the face is the idiom, and it takes a personal object followed by in. Staring at my face or in my face describes where the eyes are pointed, not the idiom about an obvious fact.

Answer: C

It should read to the letter.

To the letter means exactly as instructed, down to the last detail. The preposition is fixed; with, by and for do not carry the sense.

Answer: C

It should read nor does he drink.

Nor requires inversion of subject and auxiliary, exactly as neither does. Without the inversion the clause reads as a plain statement and the nor has nothing to do.

Answer: C

It should read hand in glove.

Hand in glove means in close and usually improper collaboration - the image is of a hand fitting a glove exactly. No other preposition is used with it.