CAT Grammar Sentence Correction Questions & Solutions

A sample of real CAT Grammar Sentence Correction past-year questions, each with a worked solution and the correct answer highlighted. AthenaPrep has 104 Grammar Sentence Correction questions in all — sign up free to practise them timed.

Passage
Directions for the following four questions: In each of the following questions there are sentences that form a paragraph. Identify the sentence(s) or part(s) of sentence(s) that is/are correct in terms of grammar and usage (including spelling, punctuation and logical consistency). Then, choose the most appropriate option.
Q1.CAT 2008
A. In 1849, a poor Bavarian imigrant named Levi Strauss

B. landed in San Francisco, California,

C. at the invitation of his brother-in-law David Stern

D. owner of dry goods business.

E. This dry goods business would later became known as Levi Strauss & Company.

[CAT 2008]
- B only
- B and C
- A and B
- A only
- A, B and D
Show solution
Statement A is incorrect because of the wrong spelling 'imigrant'. The correct spelling is 'immigrant'.
Statement B is correct.
Statement C is incorrect because of the absence of commas after brother-in-law and David Stern.
Statement D is incorrect because of the absence of the article 'a' before 'dry goods business'.
The error in statement E is 'would later became'. It should be 'would later become'.
Q2.CAT 2005
Some sentences are grammatically incorrect or inappropriate. Select the option that indicates the grammatically correct and appropriate sentence(s).

A. Large reductions in the ozone layer, which sits about 15-30 km above the Earth, take place each winter over the polar regions, especially the Antarctic, as low temperatures allow the formation of stratospheric clouds that assist chemical reactions breaking down ozone.

B. Industrial chemicals containing chlorine and bromine have been blamed for thinning the layer because they attack the ozone molecules, making them to break apart.

C. Many an offending chemicals have now been banned.

D. It will still take several decades before these substances have disappeared from the atmosphere.
- D
- B&D
- A&D
- A&C
Show solution
Statements A and D are correct.
Statement B should be "...making them break apart".
Statement C should be "...many an offending chemical.." or "many offending chemicals"
Q3.CAT 2003
Choose the option that conforms most closely to Standard English usage.
- The running of large businesses consist of getting somebody to make something that somebody else sold to somebody else for more than its cost.
- The running of a large business consists of getting somebody to make something that somebody else will sell to somebody else for more than it costs.
- The running of a large business consists of getting somebody to sell something that somebody else made for more than it cost.
- The running of large businesses consist of getting somebody to make something else that somebody else will sell to somebody else for more than it costs.
- None of the above
Show solution
Option a and d are gramatically incorrect as "The running of large business" is singular and hence should be followed by "consists." Option c doesn't make any sense as it is contextually incorrect. Option b is the most appropriate.
Passage
In each of the following sentences, a part of the sentence is underlined. Beneath each sentence, four different ways of phrasing the underlined part are indicated. Choose the best alternative from among the four.
Q4.CAT 1999
It was us who had left before he arrived.
- we who had left before time he had arrived.
- us who had went before he arrived.
- us who had went before had arrived.
- we who had left before he arrived.
Show solution
In this sentence, "he" is the object while "us" is the subject. While using the third-person pronoun as a subject, we need to use "we" instead of "us". In this case, the second half of the sentence should have simple past tense. Hence, option D.
Q5.CAT 1998
Select the option that best replaces the phrase in quotes. British Airspace has been 'focusing on building European links'.
- concentrating on creating European links
- pursuing ways of building European connectivity
- stressing on building European links
- focusing on forging European links
Show solution
The best word to use for "links" is "forging".

Hence, "focusing on forging European links" is the correct phrase.
Q6.CAT 1997
Fill in the Blanks: Taking risks, breaking the rules, and being a maverick have always been important for companies, but, today, they are ___.
- more crucial than ever
- more crucial
- much more crucial
- very crucial
Show solution
Option b and option c are eliminated because they are incomplete comparisons. When we say "more crucial" it is in comparison to something else. Among option a and option d, option a is more suitable because it shows the urgency in much more plausible manner.
Passage
Fill in the Blanks
Q7.CAT 1997
I am always the first to admit that I have not accomplished anything that I ___ achieve five years ago.
- set out to
- went to
- thought to
- thought of
Show solution
The things which we want to accomplish are set out. So the correct usage is "I am always the first to admit that I have not accomplished anything that I set out to achieve five years ago."
Passage
Directions: In each of the following questions, a part of the paragraph or sentences has been underlined:From the choices given to you, you are required to choose the one which would best replace the underlined part.
Q8.CAT 1996
In Martin Amis' new novel, the narrator is trapped and hurtling towards a terrible secret, its resolution and the dreadful revelations it brings, ally to give an excruciating vision of guilt.
- ally to give an excruciating vision of guilt
- to us give a vivid picture of guilt
- is a painful picture of a guilt ridden world
- does not really solve all the questions in the narrator's mind
Show solution
Since the underlined part is preceded by a comma, B and D provide an abrupt transition. Since the author is talking about resolution and the dreadful revelations, singular verb 'is' cannot follow it. A is grammatically correct and fits well in the context. Thus, A is the correct answer.
Q9.CAT 1991
Choose the statement that expresses the idea most correctly.
- The fact that Raghu was a good student he had many offers for good jobs.
- The fact that Raghu was a good student resulted in his having many offers for good jobs.
- The fact Raghu was a good student resulted in him having offers for good jobs.
- The fact that Raghu was a good student resulted in him having many offers for good jobs.
Show solution
Option A contains two independent clauses without a semicolon or a conjunction.

"The fact that ..." is the correct usage. Hence, option C is wrong.

"Resulted in his having ...." is the correct usage. Option B is the correct answer.
Q10.CAT 1991
Choose the option which contains a mistake.
- I definitely disagree
- with the position that
- requires that money
- is a key motivator.
Show solution
The usage of the word "requires" is wrong here. It must be replaced by "assumes".
Q11.CAT 1990
Which of the following four sentence is grammatically correct?
- There's Mr. Som, whom they say is the best singer in the country.
- There's Mr. Som, who they say is the best singer in the country.
- There is Mr. Som, whom they say is the best singer in the country.
- There is Mr. Som who, they say is the best singer in the country.
Show solution
A comma is needed after the name of the person. Also, 'who' is used while referring to the subject of the sentence. Both these requirements are satisfied in option b).
Q12.CAT 1990
Which amongst the four alternatives given below, is the most concise and clear?
- On the whole food front one may say that we can enjoy festivals in the consciousness that though some things are dear, the basic foods are better in quality and still low in price.
- We can enjoy festivals knowing that though some things are clear, the basic foods are of better quality and still low in price.
- Although we know that some things are dear, we can still enjoy festivals because the basic foods are better in quality and low in price.
- On the whole food front, although some things are dear, we can still enjoy festivals as the basic foods are of better quality and quite cheap.
Show solution
Option A and B are incorrectly framed grammatically as well as contextually. Among Options C and D, C is the best fit. The construction of D is little ambiguous and does not convey the full meaning of the sentence.

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CAT Grammar Sentence Correction previous year questions with solutions — AthenaPrep

CAT Grammar Sentence Correction Questions & Solutions

Passage

Directions for the following four questions: In each of the following questions there are sentences that form a paragraph. Identify the sentence(s) or part(s) of sentence(s) that is/are correct in terms of grammar and usage (including spelling, punctuation and logical consistency). Then, choose the most appropriate option.

Q1.CAT 2008

A. In 1849, a poor Bavarian imigrant named Levi Strauss

B. landed in San Francisco, California,

C. at the invitation of his brother-in-law David Stern

D. owner of dry goods business.

E. This dry goods business would later became known as Levi Strauss & Company.

[CAT 2008]

B only
B and C
A and B
A only
A, B and D

Show solution

Statement A is incorrect because of the wrong spelling 'imigrant'. The correct spelling is 'immigrant'.
Statement B is correct.
Statement C is incorrect because of the absence of commas after brother-in-law and David Stern.
Statement D is incorrect because of the absence of the article 'a' before 'dry goods business'.
The error in statement E is 'would later became'. It should be 'would later become'.

Q2.CAT 2005

Some sentences are grammatically incorrect or inappropriate. Select the option that indicates the grammatically correct and appropriate sentence(s).

A. Large reductions in the ozone layer, which sits about 15-30 km above the Earth, take place each winter over the polar regions, especially the Antarctic, as low temperatures allow the formation of stratospheric clouds that assist chemical reactions breaking down ozone.

B. Industrial chemicals containing chlorine and bromine have been blamed for thinning the layer because they attack the ozone molecules, making them to break apart.

C. Many an offending chemicals have now been banned.

D. It will still take several decades before these substances have disappeared from the atmosphere.

Show solution

Statements A and D are correct.
Statement B should be "...making them break apart".
Statement C should be "...many an offending chemical.." or "many offending chemicals"

Q3.CAT 2003

Choose the option that conforms most closely to Standard English usage.

The running of large businesses consist of getting somebody to make something that somebody else sold to somebody else for more than its cost.
The running of a large business consists of getting somebody to make something that somebody else will sell to somebody else for more than it costs.
The running of a large business consists of getting somebody to sell something that somebody else made for more than it cost.
The running of large businesses consist of getting somebody to make something else that somebody else will sell to somebody else for more than it costs.
None of the above

Show solution

Option a and d are gramatically incorrect as "The running of large business" is singular and hence should be followed by "consists." Option c doesn't make any sense as it is contextually incorrect. Option b is the most appropriate.

Passage

In each of the following sentences, a part of the sentence is underlined. Beneath each sentence, four different ways of phrasing the underlined part are indicated. Choose the best alternative from among the four.

Q4.CAT 1999

It was us who had left before he arrived.

we who had left before time he had arrived.
us who had went before he arrived.
us who had went before had arrived.
we who had left before he arrived.

Show solution

In this sentence, "he" is the object while "us" is the subject. While using the third-person pronoun as a subject, we need to use "we" instead of "us". In this case, the second half of the sentence should have simple past tense. Hence, option D.

Q5.CAT 1998

Select the option that best replaces the phrase in quotes. British Airspace has been 'focusing on building European links'.

concentrating on creating European links
pursuing ways of building European connectivity
stressing on building European links
focusing on forging European links

Show solution

The best word to use for "links" is "forging".

Hence, "focusing on forging European links" is the correct phrase.

Q6.CAT 1997

Fill in the Blanks: Taking risks, breaking the rules, and being a maverick have always been important for companies, but, today, they are ___.

more crucial than ever
more crucial
much more crucial
very crucial

Show solution

Option b and option c are eliminated because they are incomplete comparisons. When we say "more crucial" it is in comparison to something else. Among option a and option d, option a is more suitable because it shows the urgency in much more plausible manner.

Passage

Fill in the Blanks

Q7.CAT 1997

I am always the first to admit that I have not accomplished anything that I ___ achieve five years ago.

set out to
went to
thought to
thought of

Show solution

The things which we want to accomplish are set out. So the correct usage is "I am always the first to admit that I have not accomplished anything that I set out to achieve five years ago."

Passage

Directions: In each of the following questions, a part of the paragraph or sentences has been underlined:From the choices given to you, you are required to choose the one which would best replace the underlined part.

Q8.CAT 1996

In Martin Amis' new novel, the narrator is trapped and hurtling towards a terrible secret, its resolution and the dreadful revelations it brings, ally to give an excruciating vision of guilt.

ally to give an excruciating vision of guilt
to us give a vivid picture of guilt
is a painful picture of a guilt ridden world
does not really solve all the questions in the narrator's mind

Show solution

Since the underlined part is preceded by a comma, B and D provide an abrupt transition. Since the author is talking about resolution and the dreadful revelations, singular verb 'is' cannot follow it. A is grammatically correct and fits well in the context. Thus, A is the correct answer.

Q9.CAT 1991

Choose the statement that expresses the idea most correctly.

The fact that Raghu was a good student he had many offers for good jobs.
The fact that Raghu was a good student resulted in his having many offers for good jobs.
The fact Raghu was a good student resulted in him having offers for good jobs.
The fact that Raghu was a good student resulted in him having many offers for good jobs.

Show solution

Option A contains two independent clauses without a semicolon or a conjunction.

"The fact that ..." is the correct usage. Hence, option C is wrong.

"Resulted in his having ...." is the correct usage. Option B is the correct answer.

Q10.CAT 1991

Choose the option which contains a mistake.

I definitely disagree
with the position that
requires that money
is a key motivator.

Show solution

The usage of the word "requires" is wrong here. It must be replaced by "assumes".

Q11.CAT 1990

Which of the following four sentence is grammatically correct?

There's Mr. Som, whom they say is the best singer in the country.
There's Mr. Som, who they say is the best singer in the country.
There is Mr. Som, whom they say is the best singer in the country.
There is Mr. Som who, they say is the best singer in the country.

Show solution

A comma is needed after the name of the person. Also, 'who' is used while referring to the subject of the sentence. Both these requirements are satisfied in option b).

Q12.CAT 1990

Which amongst the four alternatives given below, is the most concise and clear?

On the whole food front one may say that we can enjoy festivals in the consciousness that though some things are dear, the basic foods are better in quality and still low in price.
We can enjoy festivals knowing that though some things are clear, the basic foods are of better quality and still low in price.
Although we know that some things are dear, we can still enjoy festivals because the basic foods are better in quality and low in price.
On the whole food front, although some things are dear, we can still enjoy festivals as the basic foods are of better quality and quite cheap.

Show solution

Option A and B are incorrectly framed grammatically as well as contextually. Among Options C and D, C is the best fit. The construction of D is little ambiguous and does not convey the full meaning of the sentence.

92+ more Grammar Sentence Correction questions inside

Get the full CAT Grammar Sentence Correction set with timed practice, bookmarks and analysis — free to start.

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CAT Grammar Sentence Correction previous year questions with solutions — AthenaPrep