Question 1

Identify the sentence that is grammatically correct and requires no improvement.

Accepted Answer

The sentence tests subject-verb agreement with collective nouns. 'The team' is a collective noun that takes a singular verb in British English when treated as a single unit.

Question 2

Choose the option that best improves the sentence: 'She has went to the market yesterday.'

Accepted Answer

The sentence contains a tense error. Present perfect ('has gone') cannot be used with a specific past time marker ('yesterday').

Question 3

Choose the option that best improves the sentence: 'The news are very disturbing for the family.'

Accepted Answer

The sentence contains a subject-verb agreement error. 'News' is a singular noun that requires a singular verb.

Question 4

Choose the option that best improves the sentence: 'She has not only talent but also she has dedication.'

Accepted Answer

The sentence contains a parallel structure error. The construction 'not only...but also' requires parallel grammatical forms on both sides.

Question 5

Choose the option that best improves the sentence: 'The manager asked the employees to work more harder on the project.'

Accepted Answer

The sentence contains a redundant comparative form. 'More harder' is incorrect; 'harder' is already the comparative form of 'hard'.

Question 6

The principal along with the teachers are planning to organise a cultural programme. Which of the following is the BEST improvement?

Accepted Answer

When a singular subject is followed by a prepositional phrase introduced by 'along with', 'together with', or 'as well as', the verb agrees with the main subject (singular), not the object of the preposition. Here, 'principal' is singular, so the verb should be 'is', not 'are'.

Question 7

The news about the accident were shocking to everyone in the office. Which of the following is the BEST improvement?

Accepted Answer

The word 'news' is a singular noun that always takes a singular verb, even though it refers to multiple pieces of information. The correct verb is 'was', not 'were'. Similarly, words like 'information', 'advice', 'furniture', and 'luggage' are always singular.

Question 8

The committee have decided to postpone the meeting because of the bad weather. Which of the following is the BEST improvement?

Accepted Answer

The subject 'committee' is a collective noun. In British English, collective nouns take plural verbs when the group acts as individuals, but in this context, the committee functions as a single unit making one decision. The standard form in Indian competitive exams treats 'committee' as singular, requiring 'has' instead of 'have'.

Question 9

She is one of the few students who has excelled in both mathematics and science. Which of the following is the BEST improvement?

Accepted Answer

The phrase 'one of the few students who...' requires careful analysis. The relative pronoun 'who' refers to 'students' (plural), not 'one' (singular). Therefore, the verb must be plural 'have', not singular 'has'.

Question 10

The manager insisted that all employees should attend the training session. Which of the following is the BEST improvement?

Accepted Answer

After verbs of insistence, demand, or suggestion (insisted, demanded, suggested), the subjunctive mood is used in formal English. The correct form is 'attend' (base form without 'should'), not 'should attend'.

Question 11

Despite of his talent, he could not secure a position in the company. Which of the following is the BEST improvement?

Accepted Answer

The preposition 'despite' is followed directly by a noun or noun phrase. The phrase 'despite of' is incorrect; 'of' should be removed. The correct form is 'Despite his talent' or 'In spite of his talent'.

Question 12

The report suggests that the government should take immediate action to address the growing inflation, which has been affecting the purchasing power of common people for the last two years.

Accepted Answer

The sentence is grammatically correct but can be improved for clarity and conciseness. The phrase 'the purchasing power of common people' is awkward; 'common people's purchasing power' or 'the purchasing power of ordinary citizens' would be more natural. Additionally, 'for the last two years' is acceptable but 'over the past two years' is more formal.

Question 13

The principal, along with the teachers, are planning to organise a cultural programme next month to celebrate the school's foundation day.

Accepted Answer

The sentence contains a subject-verb agreement error. When a singular subject ('principal') is followed by a prepositional phrase ('along with the teachers'), the verb must agree with the head noun ('principal'), not the object of the preposition. Therefore, the verb should be singular 'is', not plural 'are'.

Question 14

The data shows that the number of students enrolling in STEM courses have increased significantly over the past five years, which is a positive development for the nation's future.

Accepted Answer

The sentence contains a subject-verb agreement error. 'The number of students' is a singular noun phrase (the head noun is 'number', not 'students'), so the verb should be singular 'has', not plural 'have'. This is a common error because learners focus on the plural noun 'students' rather than the singular head noun 'number'.

Question 15

The manager requested that all employees submit their reports by Friday, and he also insisted that everyone attends the mandatory training session scheduled for next week.

Accepted Answer

The sentence contains a tense/mood inconsistency. In the first clause, 'submit' is in the subjunctive mood (base form after 'requested that'), which is correct. However, in the second clause, 'attends' should also be in the subjunctive mood (base form 'attend'), not the indicative 'attends'. The subjunctive mood is required after verbs like 'insist', 'request', 'demand', 'suggest' when expressing necessity or urgency.

SSC MTS Sentence Improvement

Sentence Improvement— Rules & Concept

Key Points to Remember

Exam-Specific Tips

Sentence Improvement — Practice Questions

60-Second Revision — Sentence Improvement