Improve the underlined part in the sentence "The candidate was likely to win the assembly elections (with the) sweeping majority." by choosing the most appropriate alternative.

Introduction / Context:
This sentence improvement question tests your knowledge of standard collocations in English related to elections and majorities. The original sentence reads: "The candidate was likely to win the assembly elections with the sweeping majority." You must decide whether the phrase "(with the)" is correct or whether another preposition article combination better fits common usage.

Given Data / Assumptions:
The sentence is: "The candidate was likely to win the assembly elections (with the) sweeping majority." Options are:

• by the
• with a
• by a
• no improvement

We assume the intended meaning is that the candidate will win by a very large margin in terms of votes or seats.

Concept / Approach:
In election language, the standard expression is "to win by a majority" or more specifically "to win by a narrow majority" or "by a sweeping majority". The preposition "by" is used with "majority" when we talk about the size of victory. The article "a" is used because "sweeping majority" is a singular countable noun, not already known to the listener. The phrase "with the sweeping majority" is clumsy and non idiomatic in this context.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Identify the core idea: the sentence speaks about winning elections and about the size of the victory, described as a "sweeping majority". Step 2: Recall the usual structure: "to win an election by a majority of votes" or "to win by a sweeping majority". Step 3: Examine option C "by a": it gives "win the assembly elections by a sweeping majority", which matches the standard election idiom. Step 4: Check option A "by the": "by the sweeping majority" is less natural, because we are not referring to some specific majority already mentioned; we are describing the kind of majority, so "a sweeping majority" is more appropriate. Step 5: Check option B "with a": "win with a sweeping majority" is possible in informal speech, but the more precise and exam favoured collocation is "win by a sweeping majority". Step 6: "No improvement" would keep the incorrect "with the", which is the least idiomatic combination.

Verification / Alternative check:
Compare these:

• "He won the election by a sweeping majority." (very common in newspapers)
• "He won the election with a sweeping majority." (understandable but less precise)
• "He won the election with the sweeping majority." (sounds odd; "the" suggests a specific majority everyone knows about)

Examination standards usually reward the clearest and most conventional phrase, which is "by a sweeping majority". Therefore, option C best improves the sentence.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:

• by the: Uses the correct preposition but the wrong article; "the sweeping majority" incorrectly assumes a previously identified, specific majority.
• with a: Grammatically acceptable but less idiomatic; the fixed expression with elections strongly favours "by a majority".
• no improvement: Retains a non standard phrase "with the sweeping majority", which exam setters consider incorrect.

Common Pitfalls:
Learners often confuse "with" and "by" when describing results, for example "win with five goals" versus "win by five goals". As a rule of thumb, when talking about the margin or majority by which something is won or lost, "by" is the more precise preposition: "win by ten runs", "lose by two votes", "win by a sweeping majority". Remembering this pattern will help you handle similar questions confidently.

Final Answer:
The correct improvement is by a, giving "The candidate was likely to win the assembly elections by a sweeping majority."