1. On one occasion he persuaded me to accompany him on a shooting expedition he was planning.
(a) has planned
(b) had planned
(c) planned
(d) No improvement
2. We have no less than a thousand students in our College.
(a) not less
(b) no less
(c) no fewer
(d) No improvement
3. When she regained consciousness she was stretched in the ditch out, soaked to the skin.
(a) out in the ditch stretched
(b) on the ditch outstretched
(c) outstretched in the ditch
(d) No improvement
4. Too little is known by this time about possible side-effects of the drug.
(a) presently
(b) in the end
(c) before hand
(d) No improvement
5. If you want to save money you must get rid of shopping.
(a) cut down on
(b) get on with
(c) put up with
(d) No improvement
6. The loud and incessant chatter worries your father who is trying to concentrate.
(a) aggravates
(b) annoys
(c) irritates
(d) No improvement
7. Not only they went to see a film, but also had dinner out.
(a) Not only did they go
(b) They didn't go not only
(c) They not only went
(d) No improvement
8. Birds sit on the boughs of trees in my garden and with their sweet notes fill the air with music.
(a) fill their sweet notes in the air
(b) by their sweet notes fill the air
(c) fill the air by their sweet notes
(d) No improvement
9. India will enter the league of major developed nations as a space giant within a short time.
(a) energy
(b) force
(c) power
(d) No improvement
10. Many a man would welcome the opportunity.
(a) Many man
(b) A many man
(c) Many a men
(d) No improvement
Answers:
1. (b) Past Perfect Tense (had planned) will be used. Sentence structure is as follows:
Subject + Aux.V. + Main V. + Object + he had planned
Before we arrived at school the class had started
Second action First action
Hence, had planned is the right usage.
2. (c) fewer (Det., Adj.) : not many used for Countable Nouns. Hence, no fewer is the right usage. less (Det., Pro.) : a smaller amount of used for Uncountable Nouns
No less than (Idiom) : used for emphasizing a large amount
3. (c) outstretched (Adj.) : spread out as far as possible
stretch out (Phr. V.) : to lie down in order to relax or sleep Here, outstretched in the ditch is the right usage.
4. (a) presently (Adv.) : now ; currently; at the time you are speaking by this time : a particular allotted time
Here, presently is the right usage.
5. (a) cut down on (Phr. V.) : to reduce
get rid of (Phr. V.) : to make yourself free of something that is annoying or that you do not want or do not want to do
Here, cut down on is the right usage.
6. (c) irritates (Verb.) : to annoy somebody, especially by something you continuously do or by something that continuously happens
incessant (Adj.) : never stopping ; constant annoys (Verb.) : to make some body slightly angry ; irritate
Here, irritates is the right usage.
7. (a) Not only _____ but also are Correlative Conjunctions.
Sentence structure is as follows : Not only + Aux. verb + Subject
Not only + did + they
Hence, Not only did they go is the right usage.
8. (c) The basic sentence structure is as follows : Subject --> Verb --> Object
fill the sweet notes Hence, fill the air by their sweet notes is the right usage.
9. (c) power (Noun) : strength or influence in a particular area of activity
giant (Noun) : a very large and powerful organisation
Here, power is the right usage.
10. (d) No improvement many a (Det., Pro.) : a large number of used with a Singular Noun and Verb
Many a good man has been destroyed by drink.
