Sentence Improvement Techniques
~9 min read
- Pattern: CDS gives a sentence with an underlined part and three substitute options + 'No improvement'. Pick the version that makes the sentence grammatically correct and idiomatic.
- Strategy: Diagnose the error first - tense, preposition, agreement, pronoun, article. Then check each option against the rule.
- 'No improvement' trap: If the sentence is already correct, choose (d). Don't pick a 'fancy' alternative just because it sounds more formal.
Sentence Improvement combines all CDS grammar skills - tenses, voice, conditionals, prepositions, idioms - into one question. The trick is diagnostic discipline: identify the rule being tested before reading the options.
Step 1 - Diagnose the Likely Error
Most CDS Sentence Improvement questions target one of these areas:
| Area | Trigger words |
|---|---|
| Tense | 'since', 'for', 'yet', 'already', 'when', 'before', 'by the time', 'ago' |
| Preposition | verb + preposition collocation; adjective + preposition |
| Article | missing 'a/an/the' or wrong article |
| Subject-verb agreement | 'one of', 'either', 'neither', collective nouns, 'each' |
| Conditional | 'if... would', 'unless... not', subjunctive |
| Voice | passive needed for unknown agent; or active for clarity |
| Reported speech | backshift errors, time/place markers |
| Comparison | 'than', 'as... as', superlatives, 'more... than' |
| Pronoun | case (I/me), agreement (his/their), reference clarity |
| Word choice | confusable pairs, register, idiomatic phrase |
Comparison Pitfalls
- Double comparatives/superlatives wrong: more better, most easiest → use one or the other.
- Wrong: He is more clever than wise. Correct as is, but watch out for: He is cleverer than wise (wrong - use 'more' when comparing two adjectives of same person).
- Wrong: He is taller than any boy in the class. Correct: He is taller than any other boy in the class. (He is also a boy.)
- Wrong: This is the most unique experience. Correct: This is a unique experience. ('Unique' cannot be compared.)
- Wrong: Akbar was greater than all the Mughal emperors. Correct: greater than any other / the greatest of all.
- 'As... as' for positive, 'so... as' for negative: He is as tall as his brother vs He is not so tall as his brother.
Redundancy and Verbosity
CDS rewards crispness. Some classic redundancies:
| Redundant | Correct |
|---|---|
| return back | return |
| repeat again | repeat |
| combine together | combine |
| discuss about | discuss |
| cope up with | cope with |
| reason because | reason that |
| end result | result |
| past history | history |
| each and every | each / every |
| twins brothers | twin brothers |
| blue in colour | blue |
| orphan child whose parents are dead | orphan child |
| brief in duration | brief |
| true facts | facts |
Misplaced Modifiers
Modifiers should sit next to the word they modify. Otherwise the sentence reads absurdly.
- Wrong: I saw a man on the bridge with a telescope. (Did the man have the telescope, or did I?) Correct: Using a telescope, I saw a man on the bridge.
- Wrong: Running down the street, the dog barked at me. (Was the dog running?) Correct: While I was running down the street, the dog barked at me.
- 'Only' should sit closest to the word it limits: Only I love you / I only love you / I love only you - three different meanings.
The 'No Improvement' Trap
Roughly 20-25% of CDS Sentence Improvement answers are 'No improvement'. Don't avoid this option out of fear. Pick it when:
- The sentence is grammatically correct.
- The other three options introduce new errors.
- The original is the most idiomatic phrasing.
Reverse trap: Don't pick 'No improvement' because you don't see the error - look harder. If 2-3 options change the same grammar element, the error is probably there.
CDS/OTA PYQ Examples
Q: Improve: He is more cleverer than his brother.
(a) more clever (b) cleverer (c) most clever (d) No improvement
Answer: (b) cleverer — 'more cleverer' is double comparative. 'Cleverer' alone is correct.
Q: Improve: I have been living in Delhi since five years.
(a) for five years (b) since five years ago (c) from five years (d) No improvement
Answer: (a) for five years — 'for' with duration; 'since' with point in time ('since 2020').
Q: Improve: He is the tallest of any boy in his class.
(a) tallest of all boys (b) taller than any other boy (c) most tall of any boy (d) No improvement
Answer: (b) taller than any other boy. (Or 'the tallest of all boys' would also work.)
Q: Improve: He doesn't take any milk, isn't it?
(a) doesn't he? (b) does he? (c) is he? (d) No improvement
Answer: (b) does he? — Question tag for negative statement is positive; auxiliary is 'does'.
Q: Improve: The reason for his absence is because he was ill.
(a) is that he was ill (b) was because he was ill (c) is because of his illness (d) No improvement
Answer: (a) is that he was ill — 'reason... because' is redundant; use 'reason... is that'.
Q: Improve: One of my friend is going to Mumbai tomorrow.
(a) friends are going (b) friends is going (c) friend are going (d) No improvement
Answer: (b) friends is going — 'One of my friends' (plural noun after 'one of the'), singular verb 'is' (because subject is 'one').
Drill Sentence Improvement Techniques for CDS/OTA
CDS/OTA-pattern items on Sentence Improvement Techniques with answer keys and explanations.
Start Free Mock TestFrequently Asked Questions
Should I read all four options before deciding?
Yes. The 'best' improvement may not be the most obvious. Compare each option against the original to spot which fixes the grammar without introducing new errors.
How often is 'No improvement' correct?
About 20-25% of the time. Trust the option when grammar is clean. Don't avoid it from fear of being tricked.
What's the most common Sentence Improvement error?
Wrong preposition pairings (depend on, capable of, conversant with) and tense (present perfect vs simple past with 'since', 'for', 'ago').
Is the underlined part always wrong?
No. About 1 in 5 questions has 'No improvement' as the answer. Apply the rule check first; don't assume an error.
Can two options be grammatically correct?
Sometimes both options are grammatical, but only one matches the idiomatic English. Then pick the more natural-sounding option. Sentence Improvement tests both grammar AND idiom.