Choose the correct phrase to complete the superlative comparison: William Shakespeare is the greatest of ____ writers.

Introduction / Context:
This sentence-improvement question tests your understanding of how superlative adjectives like “greatest” are used with comparison phrases in English. The sentence is: “William Shakespeare is the greatest of (all other) writers.” You must decide which alternative phrase in brackets correctly completes the superlative structure.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• Subject: “William Shakespeare”.
• Superlative adjective: “the greatest”.
• Comparison phrase currently: “of all other writers”.
• Options: “all the”, “any other”, “the other”, and “No improvement”.
• We assume a standard grammar rule regarding superlatives.

Concept / Approach:
With superlative adjectives such as “the greatest”, “the tallest”, or “the best”, we usually compare one person or thing with the whole group they belong to. The correct pattern is “the + superlative + of all …” or “the + superlative + in the …”. Phrases like “all other” are used more often with comparatives (“greater than all other writers”) rather than with superlatives. Therefore, we should choose a phrase that fits naturally after “the greatest of”.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Consider the idea being expressed: Shakespeare is being compared to every other writer in the world, and he is at the top. Step 2: The structure “the greatest of all the writers” or simply “the greatest of all writers” is idiomatic and widely used. Step 3: Option A “all the” gives us the phrase “the greatest of all the writers”, which fits perfectly. Step 4: Option B “any other” would create the phrase “the greatest of any other writers”, which is awkward and ungrammatical. Step 5: Option C “the other” would produce “the greatest of the other writers”, which restricts the comparison to some specific “others” rather than all writers. Step 6: “No improvement” would keep “all other” and result in “the greatest of all other writers”, which is not the standard pattern with a superlative. Step 7: Therefore, the best option is “all the”.

Verification / Alternative check:
Compare with similar examples: “Sachin Tendulkar is one of the greatest of all batsmen in cricket history”, “Mount Everest is the highest of all the mountains in the world.” In each case, the phrase “of all the …” follows the superlative. When we use a comparative adjective like “greater”, we switch to a different pattern: “Shakespeare is greater than all other writers.” Notice how “all other” fits with “greater than” but not with “the greatest of”. This confirms that “all the” is correct here.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
any other: works after “greater than”, not after “the greatest of”; “the greatest of any other writers” is unidiomatic. the other: implies a limited, specific set of “other writers” and feels incomplete in the global, universal sense intended here. No improvement: leaves a slightly incorrect and non-standard phrase “of all other writers” after a superlative.

Common Pitfalls:
Students often mix up the comparative and superlative patterns. Remember: for comparatives, we generally use “than” plus “any other” or “all other” (e.g., “richer than any other man in the town”), while for superlatives, we use “of all the …” or “in the …” (e.g., “the richest man in the town”). Confusing these patterns leads to errors in questions like this one.

Final Answer:
The correct improvement is all the, giving the sentence “William Shakespeare is the greatest of all the writers.”