Introduction
Sentence Improvement underlines part of a sentence and gives several replacement options (including "No
improvement needed"). Unlike Error Detection, you're not just spotting an error — you're judging which specific
replacement is grammatically best.
Solving Approach
- First, identify whether the underlined portion actually contains an error — many questions correctly have "No improvement" as the answer.
- If there's an error, identify its exact category (tense, preposition, voice, agreement) before scanning the options.
- Eliminate options that fix the original error but introduce a new one elsewhere in the segment.
- Prefer the option that makes the smallest necessary change — avoid options that unnecessarily rephrase correct portions.
Q. "Despite of his best efforts, the team failed to meet the deadline." Improve the underlined portion "Despite of."
(a) In spite (b) Despite (c) Although (d) No improvement
"Despite" and "in spite of" are both correct, but "despite of" is never correct — "despite" should never be
followed by "of." Replacing "Despite of" with just "Despite" fixes this cleanly.
Answer: (b) Despite.
⚠️ Key Insight: Don't assume every underlined portion has an error — Sentence Improvement
regularly includes correct sentences to test whether you can recognise when "No improvement" is genuinely the
right choice.
💡 Exam Tip: When two options both appear grammatically valid, choose the one that best matches
the tense and tone of the rest of the (non-underlined) sentence — consistency with context often breaks the tie.
✅ Practice Focus: Recognising genuinely correct sentences ("No improvement") · Preposition and
tense-based replacement traps · Choosing the minimal, precise fix over an unnecessary rewrite.