A part of the sentence is underlined. Choose the alternative that best improves the underlined part. If no improvement is needed, select the option indicating no improvement. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden.

Difficulty: Easy

Correct Answer: no improvement

Explanation:


Introduction / Context:

This sentence improvement question checks whether you can recognise a grammatically correct and idiomatic sentence. Sometimes the correct answer in such items is no improvement, and you must be confident enough to choose it when the existing structure already fits standard English usage. The sentence describes the visibility of a city located on a hill.


Given Data / Assumptions:

  • Original sentence: A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden.
  • The underlined part is cannot be hidden.
  • Options: be hid, hide, be hiding, no improvement.
  • We assume the sentence is intended to be a general statement, similar to a proverb.


Concept / Approach:

The structure cannot be hidden is a correct passive form in standard English. It expresses that the city is in such a position that other people cannot hide it. When evaluating alternatives, we must test each for grammatical correctness and appropriateness in meaning and style. In proverbs and general truths, simple present with can or cannot plus passive is very common.


Step-by-Step Solution:

Step 1: Identify the intended meaning: a city located high on a hill will always be visible and cannot be concealed from view. Step 2: Check be hid. The past participle of hide is hidden, not hid in standard modern English. Be hid sounds archaic and non standard. Step 3: Check hide. A city cannot hide would change the subject from being acted upon to acting itself, which is not the natural meaning here. Step 4: Check be hiding. A progressive passive like be hiding is awkward and does not match the idea of general impossibility of concealment. Step 5: The existing phrase cannot be hidden is grammatically correct and conveys the sense that other forces cannot hide it. Step 6: Therefore, the best choice is no improvement.


Verification / Alternative check:

Compare the sentence with similar expressions. For example, Truth cannot be hidden for long uses the same passive pattern and is fully correct. Replacing it with truth cannot hide for long changes the meaning. Since many proverbs use cannot be hidden, we can verify that the given form is standard and effective for expressing a permanent general truth.


Why Other Options Are Wrong:

Be hid uses an outdated or incorrect participle and sounds grammatically wrong for modern usage.

Hide suggests that the city itself performs the action of hiding, which is not the intended meaning.

Be hiding creates a continuous aspect that is not suitable for a timeless proverb about general visibility.


Common Pitfalls:

A frequent mistake is assuming that every question must require a change and therefore avoiding no improvement even when the sentence is already correct. Another pitfall is overcomplicating the grammar by choosing unusual forms like be hiding. To succeed in such questions, read the original sentence carefully and trust your knowledge of natural English expressions.


Final Answer:

The sentence is already correct, so the answer is no improvement.

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