Improve the following sentence by choosing the most appropriate alternative. If no improvement is needed, select the option corresponding to “No improvement”. Sentence: He wanted my permission to taking part in sports.

Introduction / Context:
This question tests your understanding of the correct use of infinitives after certain verbs. The sentence “He wanted my permission to taking part in sports” is not grammatically correct. You must select the option that uses the correct form of the verb after “permission to”.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• Original sentence: “He wanted my permission to taking part in sports.”
• The verb “want” can be followed by a noun phrase or a to infinitive (“to + base verb”).
• The phrase “permission to” is normally followed by a base verb, not by an ing form.
• The intended meaning is that he asked for permission so that he could take part in sports.

Concept / Approach:
The pattern here is:

• “permission to + base verb”

Examples include “permission to leave”, “permission to speak”, and “permission to enter”. Using “to taking” is incorrect because it mixes the infinitive marker “to” with a gerund form “taking”. We must replace “to taking part in sports” with “to take part in sports”.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Identify the incorrect part of the sentence. The phrase “to taking part in sports” is ungrammatical because “to” should be followed by the base form “take”, not the ing form “taking”. Step 2: Recall the correct construction: “permission to take part in sports.” Here “to take” is the infinitive of “take”. Step 3: Replace the incorrect phrase “to taking part in sports” with “to take part in sports” and keep the rest of the sentence unchanged. Step 4: The improved sentence becomes “He wanted my permission to take part in sports.”

Verification / Alternative check:
Read the improved sentence: “He wanted my permission to take part in sports.” It sounds natural and matches standard English usage. The structure “wanted my permission to take” is clear and grammatically correct. Comparing it with common patterns such as “wanted permission to go”, “wanted permission to stay” confirms that it is the correct form.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Option B: “for to take part in sports” uses the phrase “for to”, which is archaic and not standard in modern English. It is incorrect in examination contexts.
Option C: “for to taking part in sports” combines both the archaic “for to” and the wrong ing form, so it is doubly incorrect.
Option D: “No improvement” would keep the incorrect phrase “to taking part in sports”, which is grammatically wrong.

Common Pitfalls:
Students sometimes confuse “to” as a preposition with “to” as part of the infinitive. After nouns like “permission”, “plan” or “decision”, the pattern usually demands an infinitive (“to + base verb”), not “to + ing”. For example, “permission to enter” not “permission to entering”. Remember to check whether “to” is acting as a preposition (in which case an ing form might follow) or as part of an infinitive (which takes a base verb). Here, it is clearly part of the infinitive.

Final Answer:
The improved sentence is He wanted my permission to take part in sports.