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Free SSC English lesson

SSC English Sentence Improvement

Change what needs changing. Preserve the message.

Sentence improvement asks you to choose a better form for a specified part of a sentence. Correct grammar matters, but the replacement must also preserve the intended meaning. Sometimes the original wording already works.

Foundation to intermediate12 original questions20–25 minutes suggested study time

Learn the methodGo to practice

Build the skill

What you will learn

  • Replace only the specified wording.
  • Check agreement, tense, pronouns and verb patterns.
  • Recognise when no improvement is needed.

Read the instruction

Identify the exact text being replaced and any meaning or tense requirement.

Locate the problem

Check the whole sentence before changing the marked wording.

Substitute each choice

Read the replacement with the unchanged words on both sides.

Confirm the message

Reject a grammatical choice if it changes the stated meaning.

Understand before you answer

The rules and clues to remember

Change only the marked part

The replacement must join correctly to the words left in the sentence. Do not silently add a subject, auxiliary or preposition outside the replacement.

SentenceThe nurse [has write] the note.
RepairReplace has write with has written.

Remember: Read the complete repaired sentence, not just the answer phrase.

Connect past events clearly

The past perfect uses had plus a past participle. It can place one event before another point in the past. It is not required merely because an event happened long ago.

SequenceBy the time the shop opened, Mina had arranged the display.

Remember: Use the time relationship and the question’s instruction.

Relative clauses must fit their role

Who can introduce a clause about a person; whose expresses possession. Do not repeat a subject already represented by a relative pronoun.

PossessionThe student whose bag was missing spoke to the guard.

Remember: A person can be followed by who or that in many defining clauses; avoid inventing an exclusive rule.

No improvement is a real answer

An unfamiliar sentence is not automatically wrong. Compare agreement and meaning before replacing it.

CorrectThe parcel has not arrived yet.

Remember: Choose no improvement when all proposed replacements make the original less accurate.

See the reasoning

Two worked examples

Example 1

Replace [has finish]: The assistant [has finish] the inventory. Options: have finished / has finished / has finishing / no improvement.

Answerhas finished

The present perfect is has plus the past participle finished with singular assistant. Have does not agree with assistant; has finishing is not this construction; the original lacks the participle.

Example 2

Replace [whose]: The artist [whose] sketches we admired will visit tomorrow. Options: who / which / whom / no improvement.

AnswerNo improvement

Whose expresses the relationship between the artist and the sketches. Who and whom do not mark that possession; which does not supply the needed possessive link.

Try it yourself

12 questions, with every choice explained

Replace only the words inside square brackets. Choose No improvement if the original is correct. Use standard written English and preserve the meaning unless the question gives a more specific instruction.

Write down A, B, C or D before opening each answer. Work at your own pace. These exercises use no exam timer or negative marking.

Question 1 · One of + plural noun

One of the [shelf is] empty.

  1. A.shelves is
  2. B.shelf are
  3. C.shelves are
  4. D.No improvement
Show answer and explanations for question 1

Answer A: shelves is

Complete correct sentenceOne of the shelves is empty.
  1. Correct. One of selects one from a plural group: shelves. The head one takes is.
  2. Not correct. Shelf must be plural after one of the; are also disagrees with one.
  3. Not correct. Shelves is correct, but are disagrees with the singular head one.
  4. Not correct. The original needs plural shelves.
Review the method ↑Next question ↓

Question 2 · Present perfect participle

The courier has [bring] the package.

  1. A.bringing
  2. B.brings
  3. C.brought
  4. D.No improvement
Show answer and explanations for question 2

Answer C: brought

Complete correct sentenceThe courier has brought the package.
  1. Not correct. Has bringing does not form the required present perfect.
  2. Not correct. Brings is a finite present form, not the participle after has.
  3. Correct. Brought is the past participle of bring: has brought.
  4. Not correct. The original uses the base form where a participle is needed.
Review the method ↑Next question ↓

Question 3 · Verb pattern

The manager avoided [to make] a promise she could not keep.

  1. A.made
  2. B.making
  3. C.make
  4. D.No improvement
Show answer and explanations for question 3

Answer B: making

Complete correct sentenceThe manager avoided making a promise she could not keep.
  1. Not correct. Avoided made does not supply the required verb complement.
  2. Correct. Avoid takes an -ing form when another verb follows directly: avoided making.
  3. Not correct. Avoided make is not the required construction.
  4. Not correct. Avoided to make has the wrong complement in this sentence.
Review the method ↑Next question ↓

Question 4 · No unnecessary change

The train [has not arrived yet].

  1. A.have not arrived yet
  2. B.has not arrive yet
  3. C.has not arriving yet
  4. D.No improvement
Show answer and explanations for question 4

Answer D: No improvement

Complete correct sentenceThe train has not arrived yet.
  1. Not correct. Have disagrees with singular train.
  2. Not correct. The present perfect requires arrived, not arrive.
  3. Not correct. Has not arriving lacks the correct participle construction.
  4. Correct. Has not arrived yet correctly describes the train’s non-arrival up to now.
Review the method ↑Next question ↓

Question 5 · Comparative form

This corridor is [more wider] than the one upstairs.

  1. A.widest
  2. B.wider
  3. C.most wide
  4. D.No improvement
Show answer and explanations for question 5

Answer B: wider

Complete correct sentenceThis corridor is wider than the one upstairs.
  1. Not correct. Widest is a superlative and does not fit this comparison with than.
  2. Correct. Wider is the ordinary comparative of wide; no extra more is needed.
  3. Not correct. Most wide does not fit the comparative than construction.
  4. Not correct. The original doubles the comparative marking.
Review the method ↑Next question ↓

Question 6 · Possessive relative

The cyclist [who helmet] was damaged stopped at the shop.

  1. A.whose helmet
  2. B.whom helmet
  3. C.which helmet
  4. D.No improvement
Show answer and explanations for question 6

Answer A: whose helmet

Complete correct sentenceThe cyclist whose helmet was damaged stopped at the shop.
  1. Correct. Whose expresses the relationship between the cyclist and the helmet.
  2. Not correct. Whom is an object form and cannot mark possession before helmet.
  3. Not correct. Which does not supply the possessive relationship to the cyclist here.
  4. Not correct. Who helmet lacks the possessive form needed in this clause.
Review the method ↑Next question ↓

Question 7 · Parallel form

The course teaches students to measure, to cut and [painting] wood.

  1. A.painted
  2. B.paints
  3. C.to paint
  4. D.No improvement
Show answer and explanations for question 7

Answer C: to paint

Complete correct sentenceThe course teaches students to measure, to cut and to paint wood.
  1. Not correct. Painted does not match the preceding to-infinitive pattern.
  2. Not correct. Paints is a finite form and breaks the parallel construction.
  3. Correct. To paint matches to measure and to cut.
  4. Not correct. Painting breaks the parallel list in this sentence.
Review the method ↑Next question ↓

Question 8 · Passive voice

The door [was locked] by the caretaker at dusk.

  1. A.were locked
  2. B.was lock
  3. C.was locking
  4. D.No improvement
Show answer and explanations for question 8

Answer D: No improvement

Complete correct sentenceThe door was locked by the caretaker at dusk.
  1. Not correct. Were does not agree with singular door.
  2. Not correct. The passive needs the past participle locked after was.
  3. Not correct. Was locking is active progressive and makes the door the actor.
  4. Correct. Was locked is a correct past-simple passive.
Review the method ↑Next question ↓

Question 9 · Meaning and degree

The soup was [too hot that I could not] taste it.

  1. A.so hot that I could not
  2. B.so hot to cannot
  3. C.too hot that I cannot
  4. D.No improvement
Show answer and explanations for question 9

Answer A: so hot that I could not

Complete correct sentenceThe soup was so hot that I could not taste it.
  1. Correct. So hot that introduces the result clause and preserves the past inability to taste it.
  2. Not correct. To cannot is not a valid infinitive construction.
  3. Not correct. Too hot that does not form the required result structure and cannot changes the time reference.
  4. Not correct. The original mixes too with the so … that result pattern.
Review the method ↑Next question ↓

Question 10 · Earlier past event

Use the past perfect to make the earlier completion explicit: When the inspector arrived, the workers [finished] the safety check.

  1. A.have finished
  2. B.had finished
  3. C.had finish
  4. D.No improvement
Show answer and explanations for question 10

Answer B: had finished

Complete correct sentenceWhen the inspector arrived, the workers had finished the safety check.
  1. Not correct. Have finished is present perfect, not the requested past perfect.
  2. Correct. Had finished is past perfect and explicitly places completion before the inspector’s arrival.
  3. Not correct. Had needs the past participle finished, not finish.
  4. Not correct. Finished can describe a past event but does not meet the explicit past-perfect instruction.
Review the method ↑Next question ↓

Question 11 · Adverb form

The receptionist answered the question [polite].

  1. A.politeness
  2. B.politely manner
  3. C.politely
  4. D.No improvement
Show answer and explanations for question 11

Answer C: politely

Complete correct sentenceThe receptionist answered the question politely.
  1. Not correct. Politeness is a noun and cannot modify answered in this position.
  2. Not correct. Politely manner is not a valid phrase; in a polite manner would need different wording.
  3. Correct. Politely is the adverb describing how the question was answered.
  4. Not correct. Polite is an adjective; the action needs an adverb here.
Review the method ↑Next question ↓

Question 12 · Infinitive of purpose

We left early [to avoid] the evening traffic.

  1. A.for avoid
  2. B.to avoiding
  3. C.for avoided
  4. D.No improvement
Show answer and explanations for question 12

Answer D: No improvement

Complete correct sentenceWe left early to avoid the evening traffic.
  1. Not correct. For avoid is not the required purpose construction.
  2. Not correct. The infinitive marker to needs avoid, not avoiding.
  3. Not correct. For avoided is not a valid purpose phrase here.
  4. Correct. To avoid correctly expresses why we left early.
Review the method ↑Review your learning ↓

Make the learning stick

Review what changed your answer

  1. Write the complete repaired sentence for each error.
  2. Underline the unchanged words that helped you choose.
  3. For each No improvement answer, explain the construction that already works.

Keep a simple note: question number → your reason → the correct rule or evidence → one new example. A mistake is useful when you can explain the correction.

SSC English hub →SSC English Sentence Improvement →SSC English Synonyms and Antonyms →SSC English Cloze Tests →SSC English Synonyms and Antonyms →SSC English Cloze Tests →SSC English Sentence Improvement →Reading comprehension →Error spotting →One-word substitution →

Original ESS learning material. Not official SSC questions or a previous-year paper. ESS is independent of SSC. These are untimed skill lessons, not full exam simulations.

References and exam scope

Scope: CGL 2026 Tier-II, Paper-I, Section-II; CHSL 2026 Tier-I and Tier-II English. These are topic lessons, not complete mocks. These topics are included in the linked SSC examination notices. The lesson wording, examples, passages and questions are original ESS teaching material. Check your exam’s current notice and subsequent corrections for its full syllabus, scoring and timing.

Sources reviewed: 3 November 2026. Study-time estimates are suggestions, not official exam limits.