Improve the following sentence by choosing the most appropriate alternative. If no improvement is needed, select the option corresponding to “No improvement”. Sentence: We are doing this in the interest of the poors.

Introduction / Context:
This sentence improvement question focuses on correct usage of the phrase “in the interests of” and the noun “poor”. The original sentence “We are doing this in the interest of the poors” contains two errors: an incorrect singular form of “interest” in this idiomatic expression and an incorrect plural noun “poors”. You must choose the alternative that corrects both issues.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• Original sentence: “We are doing this in the interest of the poors.”
• The idiomatic expression is “in the interests of” when referring to benefits or welfare.
• The word “poor” when used to mean poor people collectively is an adjective used as a plural noun and has no “s” at the end.
• The sentence aims to mean that the action is being taken for the welfare of poor people.

Concept / Approach:
Two grammatical points are involved:

• Phrase: “in the interests of” is the standard form, not “in the interest of”, when referring generally to welfare or advantage.
• Noun: “the poor” is used without adding “s” to “poor” when we mean poor people as a group. We do not say “the poors”.

Therefore, both “interest” and “poors” must be corrected simultaneously.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Correct the idiomatic phrase. The standard phrase in this context is “in the interests of” because the action is being presented as serving the welfare of a group. So “interest” becomes “interests”. Step 2: Correct the noun referring to poor people. In English, we say “the poor” without an added “s”. “Poor” acts as an adjective used substantively to mean “poor people”. Step 3: Combine both corrections in one sentence: “We are doing this in the interests of the poor.”

Verification / Alternative check:
Read the improved sentence: “We are doing this in the interests of the poor.” It sounds fully natural and idiomatic. The phrase correctly expresses that the action serves the welfare of poor people, and both “interests” and “the poor” are in standard form. Comparing this to other common expressions like “in the interests of justice”, “in the interests of safety” confirms that “interests” is correct here.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Option A: “in the interests of the poors” corrects only “interest” but still uses “poors”, which is incorrect. “Poors” is not used in standard English.
Option C: “for the interests of the poor” uses “for” instead of “in”, which makes the idiomatic phrase less natural. The usual expression in formal English is “in the interests of the poor”.
Option D: “No improvement” leaves both the idiom and the noun in incorrect form, so it cannot be right.

Common Pitfalls:
Many learners think that because “poor” refers to multiple people, it must be pluralised as “poors”. However, English often uses adjectives as nouns for groups of people, such as “the rich”, “the poor”, “the blind”, “the old”. These words do not take “s” in this use. Another common mistake is to change fixed idiomatic expressions like “in the interests of” into non standard variants. Always check such common phrases in reliable sources or remember them as fixed patterns.

Final Answer:
The improved sentence is We are doing this in the interests of the poor.