Sentence Improvement — Set 9

Correct Answer: D. The researcher predicted that the results would support her theory, yet the data contradicted it.

The original sentence is redundant ('results' repeated) and uses overly complex vocabulary. 'Corroborate' paired with 'antithetical' creates awkward contrast. Option D simplifies the language while maintaining sophistication—'predicted' and 'support' are clearer than 'hypothesized' and 'corroborate', and 'contradicted' is more accessible than 'antithetical'. The structure is also more balanced.

Correct Answer: B. Despite claiming to support environmental protection, the government's policies consistently downplay ecological concerns.

The original uses unnecessarily complex vocabulary ('ostensible', 'perpetually marginalize'). Option B maintains sophistication while being more direct—'claiming to support' replaces 'ostensible commitment', 'consistently downplay' is more concrete than 'perpetually marginalize', and 'ecological concerns' is clearer than 'ecological considerations'. The sentence remains formal without being convoluted.

Correct Answer: A. She went to bed early because she was tired.

'She went to bed early because she was tired.' is the best revision. 'Being that' is a non-standard, informal expression that should be replaced with 'because' or 'since' in formal writing. Option C is overly wordy with 'due to the fact of', and option D changes the entire meaning by using 'in spite of'.

Correct Answer: B. The speakers engaged in a lengthy debate marked by conflicting ideological positions.

The original is unnecessarily complex with 'interlocutors', 'dialectical discourse', and 'ideological orientation'. Option B maintains the academic tone while being considerably more accessible—'speakers' instead of 'interlocutors', 'debate' instead of 'dialectical discourse', and 'conflicting ideological positions' instead of 'irreconcilable divergences in ideological orientation'. The meaning is preserved with better clarity.

Correct Answer: A. He gave a lengthy speech.

'He gave a lengthy speech.' is the best revision. 'Long and lengthy' is redundant because both words have essentially the same meaning. Using only 'lengthy' is sufficient and clear. Options B and D maintain the redundancy, and option C has awkward grammar with 'being long and lengthy'.

Correct Answer: B. The kids went to school every day.

'The kids went to school every day.' is correct. The original sentence has a double subject error — 'the kids' and 'they' both refer to the same subject redundantly. In standard English, a noun subject should not be immediately repeated by a pronoun. Removing 'they' corrects this grammatical error.

Correct Answer: A. It was an experience I will never forget.

'It was an experience I will never forget.' is the correct revision. The original has a pronoun repetition error — the final 'it' redundantly refers back to 'an experience' which is already the subject. Removing 'that' and the final 'it' gives the cleanest, most natural construction.

Correct Answer: B. The teacher explained the concept clearly.

'The teacher explained the concept clearly.' is the corrected sentence. 'The teacher she' commits a double subject error — using both a noun ('the teacher') and a pronoun ('she') for the same grammatical subject. The pronoun 'she' is unnecessary when 'the teacher' already serves as the subject.

Correct Answer: B. Neither of them is responsible for the mistake.

'Neither of them is responsible for the mistake.' is the correct formal grammatical form. 'Neither' is an indefinite pronoun treated as singular, so it requires the singular verb 'is'. 'Are', 'were', and 'have been' all use plural agreement which is grammatically incorrect with the singular 'neither' in formal English.

Correct Answer: A. I am looking forward to meeting you.

'I am looking forward to meeting you.' is correct. In 'looking forward to', the 'to' is a preposition (not an infinitive marker), so it must be followed by a gerund (verb+ing). 'Meeting' is the gerund form required here. 'To meet' uses the infinitive which incorrectly treats 'to' as part of the infinitive construction.