Improve the bracketed part of the sentence: "(I myself think) that this investigation is biased."

Introduction / Context:
Sentence improvement questions ask you to judge whether a highlighted or bracketed part of a sentence is correct and stylistically natural, or whether one of the alternatives provides a better version. In this sentence, the phrase "I myself think" is under examination. The structure involves emphasis on the subject "I" using the reflexive pronoun "myself". Your task is to decide whether this usage is acceptable or whether another word order or tense would be better in standard English.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• Original sentence: "(I myself think) that this investigation is biased."
• Bracketed part: "I myself think".
• Options: "I think myself", "I thought myself", "I myself thought", "no improvement" and another variant.
• The sentence is present tense and expresses a current opinion.
• We assume a formal or semi formal argumentative context where someone is giving their personal view.

Concept / Approach:
In English, a reflexive pronoun such as "myself" can be used for emphasis after the subject, as in "I myself believe", "I myself saw it" or "I myself think". This is a standard and grammatically correct way to stress that the speaker personally holds the opinion. The other alternatives presented either distort the tense or misuse the reflexive pronoun. "I think myself" is incorrect because "think" is not being used reflexively; the object of "think" cannot be "myself" in this sentence. "I thought myself" or "I myself thought" would place the verb in the past tense, which does not match the rest of the sentence ("is biased"). Therefore, the original phrase "I myself think" is correct and requires no improvement.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Examine the tense of the main clause: "this investigation is biased" is present tense, describing a current belief.Step 2: Check whether the bracketed verb phrase "I myself think" matches this tense. It is also in the simple present, so tense consistency is maintained.Step 3: Recall that placing "myself" after "I" is a common way to add emphasis: "I myself disagree", "I myself saw the incident". Thus, the structure "I myself think" is grammatically sound and idiomatic.Step 4: Test option A: "I think myself that this investigation is biased." This uses "myself" as an object, which is unnatural; we normally say "I think that ..." not "I think myself that ...".Step 5: Test option B: "I thought myself that this investigation is biased." The verb "thought" is in the past, while "is biased" is present, creating tense mismatch.Step 6: Test option C: "I myself thought that this investigation is biased." Again, the main reporting verb is past, conflicting with "is biased".Step 7: Since all alternatives introduce problems and the original phrasing is both correct and natural, the answer must be "no improvement".

Verification / Alternative check:
Compare with similar sentences: "I myself believe that the plan will work", "I myself think that this law is unfair." In each case, the reflexive pronoun adds emphasis and is immediately after the subject pronoun. Grammar references and style guides recognise this pattern as standard. If you replaced "I myself think" with "Myself I think", the sentence would sound awkward or poetic rather than standard prose. This confirms that the original bracketed phrase is already the best option in normal usage.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:

• I think myself: Misuses "myself" as an object of "think"; the idiomatic pattern is "I myself think".
• I thought myself: Creates tense inconsistency with "is biased" and misuses the reflexive pronoun.
• I myself thought: Again shifts the verb to past and clashes with the present tense of the main clause.
• Myself I think: Inverts normal word order and sounds unnatural in standard written English.

Common Pitfalls:
Many candidates assume that the presence of a reflexive pronoun automatically signals an error and try to remove or shift it, even when it is being used correctly for emphasis. Another pitfall is ignoring tense consistency when evaluating alternatives. Before choosing an option, always check subject verb agreement, tense harmony and idiomatic placement of emphasis. If the original phrase meets all these requirements, "no improvement" is often the right answer, as in this case.

Final Answer:
The sentence is already correct, so the appropriate choice is no improvement; "I myself think that this investigation is biased" is grammatically sound and natural.