Difficulty: Easy
Correct Answer: No improvement
Explanation:
Introduction / Context:
This question checks whether you recognise standard English expressions involving quantifiers. The phrase a good many is an idiomatic way to say a fairly large number of things or people. Exam setters often offer several incorrect variations to see if candidates will change a perfectly correct phrase.
Given Data / Assumptions:
- Original sentence: There are a good many tigers in this forest.
- Underlined structure: a good many tigers.
- Options: some good many tigers, the good many tigers, an good many tigers, No improvement.
- The meaning is that this forest has quite a large number of tigers.
Concept / Approach:
The expression a good many is a fixed phrase in English meaning quite a large number. It is always used with a plural noun and begins with the article a, not an, and not combined with some or the. Because the original sentence uses this expression correctly, no change is required, and the best choice is No improvement.
Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Recognise a good many as an idiomatic quantifier meaning a fairly large number.
Step 2: Check that it is followed by a plural countable noun: tigers, which is correct.
Step 3: Evaluate some good many tigers, which is unidiomatic and awkward; some and a good many do not combine.
Step 4: Evaluate the good many tigers, which wrongly uses the definite article the and changes the meaning.
Step 5: Evaluate an good many tigers, which is grammatically incorrect because an is used before vowel sounds and good begins with a consonant sound.
Step 6: Since none of the suggested changes improve the sentence, choose No improvement.
Verification / Alternative check:
Observe other examples: A good many people attended the meeting or She has a good many books on the subject. In each case, a good many plus plural noun expresses a significantly large number. If we tried to say some good many or the good many, the phrases would sound unnatural and would not be found in standard writing. This comparison confirms that the original sentence is already correct.
Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Some good many tigers in option A is not a standard English expression and sounds redundant.
The good many tigers in option B incorrectly uses the definite article and is not idiomatic.
An good many tigers in option C is grammatically wrong because an cannot precede a consonant sound and the phrase is unidiomatic.
Common Pitfalls:
Many candidates assume that a sentence in an error spotting or improvement question must contain an error, so they avoid No improvement even when the original is correct. It is important to evaluate each option objectively and choose No improvement when the sentence already follows standard usage. Memorising common phrases like a good many, a great many, and a good deal of will help you avoid unnecessary changes.
Final Answer:
The sentence is already correct, so the best choice is No improvement.
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