Sentence Improvement Rules for SSC CGL
Sentence improvement questions give a sentence with one part underlined (or bold) and ask you to pick the option that makes it grammatically correct without changing the meaning, or "No improvement required". Most errors come from about 30 rules: subject–verb agreement, tense sequence, fixed conjunction pairs (no sooner … than, hardly … when), subjunctive after insist/suggest, comparatives, prepositions, articles, gerund vs infinitive and redundancy. Learn those, and most questions become a quick rule check.
🔥 Key Exam Takeaway: Check in this order: verb (agreement and tense) → pair words (than / when / but also / nor) → preposition → article → redundancy. Pick "No improvement" only after the underlined part passes all five checks. SSC also writes this type as "Select the most appropriate option that can substitute the underlined segment".
Sentence improvement (sentence substitution) gives about 1 to 3 questions per SSC CGL Tier 1 shift and appears in CHSL, MTS, CPO and bank prelims as "sentence correction". The examples below are original sentences in the SSC pattern.
How to Solve Sentence Improvement Questions (4-Step Method)
- Read the whole sentence first, not just the underlined part. The error is usually linked to a word outside it (the subject, a time word, a pair word).
- Find the clue: a time marker (yesterday, since 2019, by next year), a pair word (no sooner, not only, either), or a fixed verb (insist, prefer, avoid).
- Apply the rule and predict the correct form before looking at the options.
- Eliminate options that change the meaning, add extra words or are wordy. The shortest grammatically correct option is usually right.
Subject–Verb Agreement Rules for Sentence Improvement
| # | Rule | Wrong | Right |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | "One of the + plural noun" takes a singular verb | One of the players were injured. | One of the players was injured. |
| 2 | Each / every / either / neither + singular verb | Each of the boys have a bicycle. | Each of the boys has a bicycle. |
| 3 | With either … or / neither … nor, the verb agrees with the nearer subject | Neither the teacher nor the students was ready. | Neither the teacher nor the students were ready. |
| 4 | As well as / along with / together with: verb agrees with the first subject | The captain, along with his players, were honoured. | The captain, along with his players, was honoured. |
| 5 | Police, cattle, people, poultry, gentry are always plural | The police has arrested the thief. | The police have arrested the thief. |
| 6 | Furniture, information, advice, luggage, scenery, machinery are uncountable (no plural, singular verb) | She gave me many advices. | She gave me a lot of advice / many pieces of advice. |
| 7 | "The number of" + singular verb; "a number of" + plural verb | The number of applicants have increased. | The number of applicants has increased. |
Tense Rules for Sentence Improvement (SSC CGL)
| # | Rule | Wrong | Right |
|---|---|---|---|
| 8 | A past time word (yesterday, ago, last year) takes simple past, not present perfect | I have met him yesterday. | I met him yesterday. |
| 9 | "Since" + point of time, "for" + period, with perfect tense | She is working here since 2019. | She has been working here since 2019. |
| 10 | Two past actions: the earlier one in past perfect | When I reached the station, the train left. | When I reached the station, the train had left. |
| 11 | "It is high time / It is time" + past tense | It is high time we start working. | It is high time we started working. |
| 12 | Unreal condition: "If I were" (not "was") | If I was you, I would apologise. | If I were you, I would apologise. |
| 13 | Third conditional: If + had + V3, would have + V3 | If he would have worked hard, he would have passed. | If he had worked hard, he would have passed. |
| 14 | No future tense after "when / if / before / until" in time clauses | I will call you when I will reach home. | I will call you when I reach home. |
Conjunction and Pair-Word Rules (No Sooner Than, Hardly When)
| # | Rule | Wrong | Right |
|---|---|---|---|
| 15 | No sooner … than | No sooner had he left when it rained. | No sooner had he left than it rained. |
| 16 | Hardly / scarcely … when | Hardly had I sat down than the bell rang. | Hardly had I sat down when the bell rang. |
| 17 | Not only … but also, with parallel parts | He not only is a singer but also a dancer. | He is not only a singer but also a dancer. |
| 18 | "Lest" is followed by "should" (or the base verb), never "not" | Walk fast lest you may not miss the bus. | Walk fast lest you should miss the bus. |
| 19 | "Unless" already means "if not": do not add "not" | Unless you do not work hard, you will fail. | Unless you work hard, you will fail. |
| 20 | "Though" pairs with "yet" (or a comma), never "but" | Though he is rich, but he is unhappy. | Though he is rich, he is unhappy. |
Verb Pattern Rules: Insist That, Prefer To, Avoid + -ing
| # | Rule | Wrong | Right |
|---|---|---|---|
| 21 | Insist / suggest / demand / recommend that + subject + base verb | The doctor suggested that he takes rest. | The doctor suggested that he take rest. |
| 22 | Prefer … to (not than) | I prefer tea than coffee. | I prefer tea to coffee. |
| 23 | Avoid, enjoy, mind, finish, look forward to + -ing | I look forward to meet you. | I look forward to meeting you. |
| 24 | Would rather / had better + base verb | You had better to leave now. | You had better leave now. |
| 25 | Indirect question uses statement word order | Tell me where is he staying. | Tell me where he is staying. |
Comparison, Preposition, Article and Redundancy Rules
| # | Rule | Wrong | Right |
|---|---|---|---|
| 26 | Senior, junior, superior, inferior, prior, prefer take to | He is senior than me. | He is senior to me. |
| 27 | No double comparative or superlative | This road is more wider. | This road is wider. |
| 28 | Despite has no "of"; "in spite of" does | Despite of the rain, we went out. | Despite the rain (or In spite of the rain), we went out. |
| 29 | Article by sound: a university, a one-rupee coin; an hour, an MBA | She joined an university. | She joined a university. |
| 30 | Remove redundant words | Please return back the book. / Let us repeat it again. | Please return the book. / Let us repeat it. |
Other redundant pairs SSC uses: revert back, free gift, final conclusion, past history, each and every one of, cousin brother, the reason is because.
Sentence Improvement Questions for SSC CGL with Answers
Q1. No sooner did the match start when it began to rain. (a) than it began to rain (b) then it began to rain (c) as it began to rain (d) No improvement Answer: (a). No sooner … than.
Q2. The manager insisted that every employee attends the meeting. (a) attended (b) attend (c) will attend (d) No improvement Answer: (b) attend. Subjunctive after "insisted that".
Q3. I have been thinking of take up yoga as a hobby. (a) about taking up (b) to take up (c) for taking (d) No improvement Answer: (a) about taking up. Preposition + gerund; "take up" means start a hobby.
Q4. She waited at the gate for few moments before knocking. (a) for a few moments (b) for little moments (c) for the few moment (d) No improvement Answer: (a). "A few" = some; "few" alone means hardly any.
Q5. The firemen had to break the door to rescue the child. (a) break up the door (b) break in the door (c) break down the door (d) No improvement Answer: (c) break down. "Break down a door" = force it open.
Q6. If he would have left on time, he would have caught the flight. (a) had left (b) has left (c) left (d) No improvement Answer: (a) had left. Third conditional.
Q7. One of my friends are going abroad next month. (a) is going (b) were going (c) have gone (d) No improvement Answer: (a) is going.
Q8. Walk carefully lest you may not fall. (a) lest you should fall (b) lest you will fall (c) lest you would not fall (d) No improvement Answer: (a) lest you should fall. "Lest" already carries the negative idea, so it never takes "not"; it is followed by "should" + base verb.
Q9. He is more taller than his brother. (a) much tall (b) taller (c) most taller (d) No improvement Answer: (b) taller.
Q10. Could you tell me where does the principal sit? (a) the principal sits (b) sits the principal (c) the principal does sit (d) No improvement Answer: (a) the principal sits.
Q11. It is high time the government takes strict action. (a) took (b) take (c) will take (d) No improvement Answer: (a) took.
Q12. The furniture in this room is very old. (a) are (b) were (c) have been (d) No improvement Answer: (d) No improvement. Furniture is uncountable and takes a singular verb.
Sentence Improvement Tricks to Save Time
- Spot the trigger word: yesterday/ago → past; since/for → perfect continuous; no sooner → than; hardly → when; insist/suggest → base verb; prefer/senior → to.
- Count the subject: find the real subject, ignoring "of the …" phrases and "along with …" phrases.
- Read options against each other: if two options differ only by one word, the answer is one of those two.
- Don't fear "No improvement": in SSC papers it is the correct answer a fair share of the time; choose it when every check passes.
Sentence Improvement FAQs
What is the difference between sentence improvement and error spotting?
Error spotting asks you to find which part has the error. Sentence improvement asks you to choose the correct replacement for the underlined part. The grammar rules are the same.
How many sentence improvement questions come in SSC CGL?
Usually 1 to 3 per Tier 1 shift, under names like "sentence improvement" or "substitute the underlined segment". Tier 2 has more.
When should I choose 'No improvement required'?
Only after checking the verb, any pair word, the preposition, the article and redundancy. If all are correct, it is the answer.
Is "lest" always followed by "should"?
"Lest" takes "should" + base verb or just the base verb ("lest he fall"). It is never followed by "not".
Which is correct: "prefer than" or "prefer to"?
"Prefer to" (I prefer tea to coffee). With "rather", use "than": I would rather drink tea than coffee.
Related topics: revise word swap questions for bank exams next.
Practice Next
- Sectional practice: SSC CGL English Comprehension Sectional Mock Test 01 and SSC CHSL English Language Sectional Mock Test 01.
- Bank English: IBPS Clerk English Language Sectional Mock Test 01.
- Related notes: Phrasal Verbs for SSC CGL, Idioms Asked in SSC CGL and One Word Substitution for SSC CGL; also see active and passive voice rules for SSC CGL, direct and indirect speech rules for SSC CGL and error spotting rules for bank exams, plus fillers for bank exams, para jumbles tricks for bank exams, plus phrase replacement questions for bank exams.
- Exam details: SSC CGL 2026 notification.
- Browse all study notes.