Sentence Improvement Part-VIII

11. Bloomberg Businessweek is not more popular than some other business magazines in the US. [SSC CGL Tier II (07/03/2023)]

(a) No substitution required
(b) the most popular than
(c) as more popular than
(d) so popular than

Correct Answer: (a) No substitution required

Solution:The given sentence is grammatically correct.

12. He was looking into his book for the last two hours but couldn't find it. [SSC CGL 01/12/2022 (1st Shift)]

(a) looking down on his book
(b) looking above his book
(c) looking for his book
(d) looking after his book

Correct Answer: (c) looking for his book

Solution:There is a prepositional error in the given sentence.

The preposition 'into' used after the verb 'looking' is incorrect & it must be replaced with the correct preposition 'for' because 'looking for' which means to search something is the correct phrase.
Hence, 'looking for his book is the most appropriate answer.

13. Pintu has been advised to reduce smoking by his family doctor. [SSC CGL 01/12/2022 (1st Shift)]

(a) cut down
(b) less down
(c) lower down
(d) up down

Correct Answer: (a) cut down

Solution:'Cut down' is a phrase that means to reduce the size, amount, or quantity of something.

Similarly, the given sentence states that Pintu has been advised to reduce smoking by his family doctor.
Hence, 'cut down' is the most appropriate answer.

14. Navika is a superb and impressive child in her class. [SSC CGL 01/12/2022 (2nd Shift)]

(a) Splendid
(b) Brilliant
(c) Dazzling
(d) Vivid

Correct Answer: (b) Brilliant

Solution:Brilliant - superb and impressive

Splendid - very good, excellent

Dazzling - causing strong admiration

Vivid - having or producing a strong, clear picture in your mind

15. I went to Paris regularly. [SSC CGL 01/12/2022 (3rd Shift)]

(a) twice
(b) often
(c) yesterday
(d) happily

Correct Answer: (c) yesterday

Solution:'An adverb of time' can tell us about when an action happens.

Moreover, late, tomorrow, today, everyday, weekly, yearly, yesterday, last month, tonight, last week, immediately, etc. are some adverbs of time.
Similarly, the given sentence is in the past tense(went), and for that, we will use an adverb of time in the past tense.
Hence, 'yesterday' is the most appropriate answer.

16. The new shop that opened last week are hardly sufficient stock of the products that it advertised about. [SSC CGL 01/12/2022 (4th Shift)]

(a) hardly hadn't
(b) hardly had
(c) hardly is having
(d) is had

Correct Answer: (b) hardly had

Solution:According to the Rule of Inversion, the verb always be used after the adverbs like Hardly, Scarcely, Barely.

Hence, 'hardly had(verb)' is the most appropriate answer.

17. Abu said that he saw the picture. [SSC CGL 02/12/2022 (1st Shift)]

(a) he has seen the picture
(b) he will have seen the picture
(c) he would have seen the picture
(d) he had seen the picture

Correct Answer: (d) he had seen the picture

Solution:We generally write the past tense structure 'Had + V3" after the connecting word 'that' in any sentence which is in the indirect form.

Similarly, the given sentence is written in the indirect form.
Hence, 'he had seen (V3) the picture' is the most appropriate answer.
The sentence is grammatically correct.

18. Finally, here are a few examples of passages and their précis. [SSC CGL 02/12/2022 (2nd Shift)]

(a) by passages and their précis
(b) of passages and there precis
(c) of passages and there precises
(d) No substitution

Correct Answer: (d) No substitution

Solution:No substitution.

19. We live in a populated country of 120 million people. [SSC CGL 02/12/2022 (4th Shift)]

(a) congested
(b) dense
(c) populous
(d) No substitute

Correct Answer: (c) populous

Solution:The given sentence needs an adjective 'populous' and not a verb 'populated'.

Hence, 'populous' is the most appropriate answer.

20. Last before year, Shirley got very good grades. [SSC CGL 03/12/2022 (1st Shift)]

(a) The last year before
(b) Before last year
(c) The year before last
(d) Before year last

Correct Answer: (c) The year before last

Solution:'The year before last' means during the year before the previous one.

The given sentence states that Shirley got very good grades in the year before the previous one.
Hence, 'The year before last is the most appropriate answer.