Improving Sentences Tutorial Introduction In most standardized exams, when it comes to improving sentences, your job is typically to choose the best of five possible sentences. This isn't always easy. You have to pay close attention to the details of each sentence to determine which one works the best. Below are some tips on how you can improve your ability to distinguish between five similar versions of the same sentence and identify which one is superior to the others. Underlined Section First look closely at the underlined section of the sentence and see if you can catch sight of an error. If you locate an error, check and see if that same error appears in any of the answers. If it does, you can eliminate those answers. The rule of thumb is that any answer with an error is incorrect, so if an answer repeats the error found in the underlined section, then you know it's the wrong answer. Look for Errors The next step is to look for other errors in the answers. Again, if you can spot an error in any of the answers, whether or not it appears above in the underlined portion of the sentence, that answer is incorrect. As soon as you locate an error, eliminate the answer. What Has Changed Sometimes it's difficult to determine what is the error in the underlined portion. If you can't see it, then go to the answer choices and try to determine what has changed. A good trick is to substitute these changes back into the original sentence and see how they work. At this point, you should trust your ear for language. If something doesn't sound right, it probably isn't. If it does seem to work, there's a good chance that it is the correct answer. Short is Good Short answers tend to be good answers. Remember, good writing employs an economy of words. If you can say something in five words instead of ten, it's a better choice. So when trying to determine the best sentence, pay special attention to the shorter answers. If you don't spot any mistakes in a short answer, there's a high probability that is the right answer. Parallel Structure A common problem you'll spot is a lack of parallel structure. For instance, you might see a sentence that reads, "Clark visited Tokyo, the East Indies, and spent six months in the Sahara." This feels jumbled because the last portion of the sentence doesn't fit with the "Clark visited" portion. You can say "Clark visited Tokyo" and "Clark visited the East Indies," but you cannot say "Clark visited spent six months in the Sahara." It simply doesn't work together. To fix this you'd have to restructure the sentence so that it reads, "Clark visited Tokyo, the East Indies, and the Sahara, where he spent six months wandering the desert." Your goal should be to make sure that all the parts of the sentence have a similar form and work in concert. If the various parts don't, you know something is wrong and can eliminate the answer. Logical Connections Another strategy is to examine the connections between sentences. Make sure they're logical and they sound right. You'll find that often sentences connected with "and" might be grammatically correct but are inferior to those connected with relative pronouns or subordinating conjunctions. For example, take the sentence, "Mary spent the day golfing, and she went to the opera in the evening." This is not the most logical connection. A better choice would be to write, "After spending the day golfing, Mary went to the opera in the evening." Always be sure to look for the most logical connection given the nature of the sentence and its parts.