शब्दावली सहित वाक्य सुधार
Sentence Improvement with Vocabulary
Sentence improvement gives you a phrase in a sentence and asks for the best replacement, or 'No improvement' if it is already correct. In SBI Clerk this tests vocabulary and idiom sense as much as grammar: the right choice is often a single precise word replacing a clumsy phrase, or a fixed idiom restored to its correct form. Two or three such questions usually appear, and a method that separates grammar errors from word-choice errors clears them quickly.
Answer First: Locate the Error Type
Read the underlined phrase and name what is wrong before looking at options. It is one of three things: a grammar fault such as a wrong tense or preposition, a wordy phrase that a single word can replace, or a broken idiom. Naming the fault first tells you what a good replacement must do, so you judge options against a target instead of guessing. If nothing is actually wrong, trust that and pick 'No improvement' rather than changing a correct sentence out of nervousness.
Replacing a Phrase with One Word
Exam setters love a bloated phrase that a strong vocabulary word can compress. 'In spite of the fact that' becomes 'although'; 'at this point in time' becomes 'now'; 'a large number of' becomes 'many'. The best answer is usually the shortest option that keeps the exact meaning, because concise writing is what the question rewards. When two options both fit the grammar, choose the tighter, more precise word — that preference for economy is the quiet rule behind most sentence-improvement keys.
Restoring Broken Idioms
Many items break a fixed idiom by one word, and only the exact form is correct. 'Burnt the midnight lamp' must be 'burnt the midnight oil'; 'a needle in the haystack' needs no article change but 'putting up with' cannot become 'putting up for'. Idioms are memorised, not reasoned, so the fix here is a stocked memory of common bank-exam idioms. When the underlined part looks like a set phrase, ask whether every word matches the standard form you have learned.
| Wordy / wrong phrase | Better replacement | Why |
|---|---|---|
| in spite of the fact that | although | one word for a clause |
| due to the fact that | because | concise cause |
| burnt the midnight lamp | burnt the midnight oil | correct idiom |
| discussed about the plan | discussed the plan | no preposition needed |
Guarding Against Over-Correction
The commonest way to lose a sentence-improvement mark is to fix something that is not broken, because the ear is trained to distrust every sentence under exam pressure. Before you replace anything, test whether the original actually violates a rule or merely sounds unfamiliar; unfamiliar is not the same as wrong. If an option only reshuffles the words without correcting a real fault, it is a distractor. Read the original and your chosen improvement side by side and ask what specific error the change removes — if you cannot name the error, the sentence probably needed 'No improvement' all along, and that is the safe pick.
Solved Examples
Example 1: 'She is senior than me.' The comparative idiom is fixed: 'senior' takes 'to', so the improvement is 'senior to me'. Example 2: 'He gave a reply in the negative.' The wordy phrase compresses to a single verb, giving 'He refused' or 'declined' as the tighter, preferred improvement.
✗ Changing a sentence that is already correct out of doubt | ✓ Confirming the fault type first, and choosing 'No improvement' when nothing is wrong
Exam Pointer — SBI Clerk Prelims usually carries two to three sentence-improvement questions, blending grammar and vocabulary. Name the fault — grammar, wordiness or idiom — before reading options, and prefer the shortest option that preserves meaning. Keep 'No improvement' as a genuine choice; setters include correct sentences to catch over-correctors.
60-Second Recap
- Name the fault first: grammar, wordy phrase or broken idiom.
- Replace bloated phrases with the shortest precise word.
- Idioms have one fixed form — match every word.
- 'No improvement' is a real answer; don't over-correct.