In the sentence "A neem tree grew as a bonus on the side, raising its head high as if it wants (will peep) into my bedroom", which option best improves the bracketed part?

Difficulty: Easy

Correct Answer: to peep

Explanation:


Introduction / Context:
This question tests sentence improvement and the correct use of infinitive forms in English. The original sentence describes a neem tree growing and raising its head as if it wants (will peep) into the speaker bedroom. The phrase will peep is given in brackets as the part to be improved. You must select the option that produces a smooth, grammatically correct sentence in standard English.


Given Data / Assumptions:

  • The full sentence is: A neem tree grew as a bonus on the side, raising its head high as if it wants (will peep) into my bedroom.
  • The structure as if it wants suggests a desire and is naturally followed by an infinitive of purpose.
  • The choices offered are peep, peeped, to peep, and no improvement.
  • We assume the writer is describing an ongoing or habitual impression, not a definite future action.


Concept / Approach:
After a verb like wants, we normally use an infinitive (to + base verb) to express what the subject wants to do. For example, he wants to go, she wants to sleep. The phrase wants will peep is incorrect because English does not stack two finite verbs wants and will in this way. The correct pattern is wants to peep. Since the sentence already includes wants, we only need to supply to peep in place of will peep to make the sentence grammatical and natural.


Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Focus on the clause as if it wants (will peep) into my bedroom.Step 2: Recognise that wants is followed by an infinitive of the form to + verb in correct English.Step 3: Among the options, to peep is the only one that serves as a proper infinitive complement to wants.Step 4: If we choose peep or peeped, we would end up with wants peep or wants peeped, both of which are ungrammatical in this context.Step 5: No improvement is wrong because will peep is not the correct form after wants. Therefore, to peep is the best improvement.


Verification / Alternative check:
Substitute each option into the sentence and read it aloud. With to peep, the sentence becomes: A neem tree grew as a bonus on the side, raising its head high as if it wants to peep into my bedroom. This sounds natural and follows a standard English pattern. Using peep would create wants peep, which is incomplete. Using peeped would create wants peeped, which mixes tense incorrectly. Keeping will peep would result in wants will peep, which is grammatically wrong because two finite verbs in a row cannot both be main verbs.


Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Option A peep fails because the construction wants peep does not follow standard verb complementation rules; the bare infinitive is not used here. Option B peeped gives a past participle, but wants peeped is not a proper structure either. Option D no improvement would keep the incorrect future auxiliary will, producing wants will peep, an unacceptable combination of two finite verbs. Only to peep completes the verb wants correctly.


Common Pitfalls:
Some students may be distracted by the presence of as if and think that will peep expresses a future possibility. However, the sentence is about how the tree appears now, not about a future plan. Another pitfall is not recalling the rule that want is followed by to + verb, not by will + verb. Remembering common verb patterns (want to do, hope to do, try to do) helps in quickly spotting and correcting such errors.


Final Answer:
The bracketed part should be replaced with to peep, so the correct option is C.

Discussion & Comments

No comments yet. Be the first to comment!
Join Discussion