In the following sentence, the bracketed part is grammatically incorrect. Choose the option that best improves the sentence: Even after putting his body and soul, if he fails to achieve victory he will not have (any authority above others).

Introduction / Context:
This question tests knowledge of common English prepositional collocations with the noun "authority". The sentence talks about someone who has given total effort but still fails to gain victory, and therefore will not gain a dominant position over other people. You must select the option that expresses this idea in the most natural and grammatically accurate way.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• Original sentence: Even after putting his body and soul, if he fails to achieve victory he will not have "any authority above others".
• The intended meaning is that he will not have power or control in relation to other people.
• The choice mainly concerns which preposition fits correctly after "authority".
• The context is abstract social or professional hierarchy.

Concept / Approach:
English often uses the preposition "over" to express the idea of control or power in relation to people: "authority over others", "power over employees", "jurisdiction over a region". While "above" can sometimes suggest higher status, the specific phrase "authority above others" is not the most idiomatic expression. "Authority on" is used for expertise in a subject, for example "an authority on physics". "Authority to" is typically followed by a verb ("authority to act"), not a plural noun like "others". Therefore, the correct and natural collocation here is "authority over others".

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Identify the core phrase that needs improvement: "any authority ___ others".Step 2: Recall standard expressions with "authority": "authority over people", "authority on a subject", "authority to do something".Step 3: Decide which meaning fits the context: power or control with respect to other people, not expertise or permission.Step 4: Choose the preposition "over", giving "any authority over others".Step 5: Read the complete sentence to confirm: "Even after putting his body and soul, if he fails to achieve victory he will not have any authority over others."

Verification / Alternative check:
Testing each option in context is helpful. "Authority on others" sounds like expertise about people, which is not the intended meaning. "Authority to others" is incomplete and does not clearly show control. "Authority above others" sounds awkward and not standard in this structure. Only "authority over others" directly conveys hierarchical power in natural exam level English. That supports option B as the correct improvement.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:

• Option A: "any authority on others" misuses "on", which is normally used for expertise in a field, such as "authority on history", not power over people.
• Option C: "any authority to others" is incomplete and unclear; it does not normally follow this pattern and fails to show the relationship.
• Option D: "No improvement" preserves "authority above others", which is non-idiomatic and not preferred in formal English.

Common Pitfalls:
Prepositions in English are challenging because they rarely translate directly from other languages. Learners may rely on their first language patterns and choose words like "above" instead of the more idiomatic "over". To handle such questions, pay attention to how words combine in authentic reading materials. Make a mental note of fixed phrases such as "authority over", "influence on", "control over", and "responsibility for". Recognising these patterns will help you quickly eliminate incorrect options in similar sentence improvement tasks.

Final Answer:
The best improvement of the phrase is any authority over others.