In this sentence improvement question, choose the correct prepositional phrase to replace "hell bent at getting" in the sentence: "The employees are hell bent at getting what is due to them."

Introduction / Context:
Many sentence improvement questions focus on fixed expressions where a particular preposition must follow a given adjective or phrase. The expression "hell bent" is one such case. The sentence reads: "The employees are hell bent at getting what is due to them." Here the examiner is checking whether you know the correct preposition that collocates with "hell bent" in standard English.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• Original sentence: The employees are hell bent at getting what is due to them.
• Underlined phrase: hell bent at getting.
• Options: hell bent on getting, hell bent for getting, hell bent about getting, no improvement.
• The intended meaning is that the employees are extremely determined to obtain what they deserve.

Concept / Approach:
"Hell bent" is an informal expression meaning extremely determined or stubbornly fixed on achieving something, often despite risks. The correct preposition that follows this phrase is "on". The standard pattern is "hell bent on doing something." Other prepositions such as "at," "for," or "about" do not form a correct idiomatic expression with "hell bent." Therefore, we must choose the option that uses "on" followed by the gerund "getting."

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Understand the intended idea: the employees are strongly determined to get what is due to them.Step 2: Recall the fixed phrase from common usage: "hell bent on doing something."Step 3: Compare this pattern with option A "hell bent on getting," which matches exactly.Step 4: Examine option B "hell bent for getting," which is not a recognised expression in standard English.Step 5: Examine option C "hell bent about getting," which again sounds unnatural and incorrect.Step 6: Recognise that "no improvement" would leave the incorrect preposition "at" in place, so it cannot be chosen.

Verification / Alternative Check:
Test the options in the full sentence: "The employees are hell bent on getting what is due to them" is clear and idiomatic. If you substitute "for," "about," or "at," the sentence becomes unnatural and non-standard. You can also compare with similar sentences, such as "He was hell bent on winning the match" or "They are hell bent on revenge." In all these examples "on" is the only acceptable preposition, confirming that option A is correct.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
"Hell bent for getting" and "hell bent about getting" do not occur as standard expressions. English does not pair "hell bent" with "for" or "about" to convey determination. "Hell bent at getting" in the original sentence is grammatically wrong and sounds awkward. "No improvement" must therefore be rejected. These distractors are present to test whether you actually know the collocation or are merely guessing.

Common Pitfalls:
Many learners rely on general preposition rules, thinking that "at" might work because people are often "good at doing something." However, idiomatic expressions often override general rules. The safest strategy is to learn common phrases like "bent on," "keen on," "fond of," and specifically "hell bent on" as fixed pairs. When you see one in an exam, you can then immediately recall the correct preposition and avoid confusion.

Final Answer:
The improved sentence is: "The employees are hell bent on getting what is due to them."