Sentence improvement – sequence of past events with relative clause: Replace 'which he bought yesterday' with past perfect to show earlier purchase relative to 'I took'.
Verbal Ability
Sentence Improvement
Difficulty: Easy
Choose an option
-
Athat he bought yesterday
-
Bthat which he had bought yesterday
-
Cthat he had bought yesterday
-
DNo improvement
Answer
Correct Answer: that he had bought yesterday
Explanation
Given data
- Original: 'I took the cycle which he bought yesterday.'
Concept/ApproachWhen one past action clearly precedes another past action, use the past perfect for the earlier action: 'he had bought (earlier), I took (later).' Also, 'that' is preferred in restrictive relative clauses after nonhuman antecedents.
Improved sentence'I took the cycle that he had bought yesterday.'
Option analysis'that he bought' misses the earlier-time nuance; 'that which he had bought' is wordy and unidiomatic; 'No improvement' ignores tense sequencing.