Question

Look at the underlined part of the given sentence. Below the sentence are given three possible substitutions for the underlined part. If any of substitutions; (a), (b) or (c) is better than the underlined part, choose that substitution as your response. If none of the substitution improves the sentence, choose (d) as your response. Thus, a ‘No improvement’ response will be signified by the letter (d).
He has been working off and on for several years to compile a dictionary.

• A. on or off
• B. on and off
• C. regularly
• D. No improvement

Hint:

"Off and on" and "on and off" are both correct and mean the same thing—intermittently.

Answer 1

The Correct Option is D

The given sentence is: "He has been working off and on for several years to compile a dictionary." The phrase "off and on" is underlined, and we are tasked with checking if any of the given substitutions can improve the sentence. 

1. The phrase "off and on" is an idiomatic expression that means intermittently or at intervals, which fits the context of the sentence as it suggests that the work has been done sporadically over a period.
2. Let's evaluate each of the options provided:
   • Option (a) "on or off": This phrase does not make sense grammatically in the context. It is not an established idiomatic expression and fails to convey the intended intermittent nature of the work.
   • Option (b) "on and off": Similar to the original phrase "off and on", it is also a recognized idiom that means the same thing. While both are correct, they are simply variations of the same idiom but do not necessarily improve the sentence.
   • Option (c) "regularly": This word means continuously without intervals, which changes the meaning of the sentence. It does not accurately reflect the context, as the work was not done consistently.
   • Option (d) "No improvement": Since option (a) is incorrect, and option (b) doesn't provide any meaningful improvement over the original, and option (c) doesn't fit the context, the best choice is "No improvement".
3. The correct answer is therefore option (d) "No improvement" as the original phrase is already the most appropriate choice for the sentence.