In the sentence "She is (the best and wisest) girl in the class", which of the following is the best improvement of the bracketed part?

Introduction / Context:
Grammar improvement questions ask candidates to identify whether a highlighted or bracketed phrase in a sentence is correct, and if not, to choose the most appropriate alternative. This question focuses on the correct use of the definite article "the" with superlative adjectives joined by "and". The sentence given is "She is (the best and wisest) girl in the class". We must decide whether the bracketed phrase needs correction.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• The full sentence is "She is the best and wisest girl in the class".
• The bracketed part is "the best and wisest".
• The options suggest different ways of using articles with "best" and "wisest".
• We assume standard English grammar rules about articles and superlative adjectives.

Concept / Approach:
When two superlative adjectives refer to the same noun, we normally use the definite article "the" only once, before the first adjective. Thus, "She is the best and wisest girl" is correct. Using "the" before both adjectives ("the best and the wisest girl") is not strictly wrong but is more emphatic and less common and is usually not preferred in formal grammar questions. The phrase "the best and wisest" as given is grammatically acceptable and idiomatic, so "No improvement" is the best choice.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Identify the structure: article + superlative adjective + conjunction + superlative adjective + noun.Step 2: Recall the rule: when two or more adjectives describe the same noun and stand in the same relation to it, one article before the first adjective is sufficient.Step 3: See that "the best and wisest girl" fits this rule, with "best" and "wisest" both describing "girl".Step 4: Evaluate option (a) "best and wisest" which drops "the" completely; this is incorrect because a superlative normally requires "the" before it.Step 5: Evaluate option (b) "a best and a wisest", which is wrong because "best" and "wisest" are superlatives, not used with the indefinite article "a".Step 6: Evaluate option (c) "the best and the wisest", which is possible but unnecessarily repetitive and not the standard improvement when the original is already correct.Step 7: Conclude that the original phrase is acceptable and choose "No improvement".

Verification / Alternative check:
One way to verify is to compare similar sentences: "He is the tallest and strongest boy in the team" uses "the" only once, which is considered correct. Likewise, "She is the oldest and most experienced member" follows the same pattern. Applying this model, "the best and wisest girl" appears perfectly fine. Grammar resources often give examples with a single "the" when the superlatives refer to the same person or thing.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Option (a) "best and wisest" omits "the", making the phrase incomplete because superlatives normally require the definite article. Option (b) incorrectly uses "a" with superlative forms, which is unnatural in standard English. Option (c) "the best and the wisest" is not grammatically wrong but is not an improvement; the test typically expects the simplest correct structure. Option (e) "the most best and wisest" is grammatically incorrect because "best" is already a superlative and cannot be modified by "most".

Common Pitfalls:
Many candidates overcorrect when they see superlatives, thinking that if one "the" is good, two must be better, leading them to choose "the best and the wisest". Others may be misled by the presence of bracketed text and assume that it must be wrong, forgetting that "No improvement" is sometimes correct. The safest strategy is to check the sentence against clear grammar rules rather than assuming any highlighted phrase is incorrect.

Final Answer:
The correct answer is No improvement.