In the following question, out of the four alternatives, select the alternative which will improve the bracketed part of the sentence. In case no improvement is needed, select "no improvement". What seeds you (has sow) in the garden of your mind determine the quality of life you shall have.
Sow
Understanding the Sentence Improvement Question
The question asks us to find the best way to improve the bracketed part "(has sow)" in the sentence: "What seeds you (has sow) in the garden of your mind determine the quality of life you shall have." We need to choose from the given options or select "no improvement" if the original sentence is correct.
Analyzing the Original Sentence and Bracketed Part
Let's look closely at the phrase "What seeds you (has sow)".
- The subject of the verb is "you".
- The original verb phrase is "(has sow)".
- In standard English grammar, the verb "has" is used with third-person singular subjects (he, she, it, singular nouns). The subject "you" takes "have" in the present tense auxiliary role.
- Also, after the auxiliary verb "has" or "have", the main verb should be in its past participle form. The past participle of "sow" is "sown".
Therefore, "(has sow)" is grammatically incorrect. It should either be "have sown" (present perfect tense) or a simple present tense form.
Evaluating the Improvement Options
Now, let's consider the provided options:
- Sowing: This is the present participle or gerund form. "What seeds you sowing..." would typically require a form of 'be' before 'sowing' (e.g., "What seeds you are sowing...") to form a continuous tense, which doesn't fit the sentence structure or meaning here.
- Sow: This is the base form of the verb. For the subject "you" in the simple present tense, the verb form is "sow". The phrase "What seeds you sow..." means "The seeds that you sow...". This fits grammatically as the simple present tense verb for the subject "you".
- Had: This is a past tense or past participle form of 'have'. Using "had sow" is grammatically incorrect; it would need the past participle "sown" to form the past perfect tense ("had sown"). Even "had sown" wouldn't fit the context which implies a present action leading to a future outcome.
- No Improvement: Since the original part "(has sow)" is grammatically incorrect, this option is not viable.
Identifying the Correct Improvement
Comparing the options, "Sow" is the only grammatically correct option that fits seamlessly into the sentence structure and maintains a logical meaning. The sentence structure "What seeds you sow..." is a common way to say "The seeds that you sow...". This uses the simple present tense, which makes sense in the context of a general truth or ongoing action determining a future state.
The corrected sentence using "Sow" would be: "What seeds you sow in the garden of your mind determine the quality of life you shall have."
Here, "What seeds you sow" functions as a noun phrase representing the subject of the main verb "determine". Within this phrase, "you sow" is a relative clause modifying "seeds" (with the relative pronoun 'that' or 'which' implied). The subject "you" correctly takes the simple present verb "sow".
| Tense/Form | Correct Usage with 'You' | Incorrect Usage (as in original sentence) |
|---|---|---|
| Simple Present | You sow | You has sow |
| Present Perfect | You have sown | You has sow |
| Past Simple | You sowed | - |
| Past Perfect | You had sown | You had sow |
Conclusion: Correcting the Sentence
Based on the analysis, the phrase "(has sow)" is incorrect due to subject-verb agreement and incorrect verb form. The option "Sow" correctly replaces the bracketed part with the simple present tense form appropriate for the subject "you".
Revision Table: Subject-Verb Agreement and Verb Forms
Understanding subject-verb agreement is crucial for correcting such sentences. Here's a quick summary related to the verb 'sow' and subjects 'you'/'he/she/it':
- With subject 'you': Use 'sow' (simple present), 'have sown' (present perfect), 'sowed' (past simple), 'had sown' (past perfect).
- With subject 'he/she/it': Use 'sows' (simple present), 'has sown' (present perfect), 'sowed' (past simple), 'had sown' (past perfect).
Additional Information: Implied Relative Clauses
The structure "What seeds you sow..." is an example of an implied relative clause. It means "The seeds that you sow...". The relative pronoun 'that' or 'which' is often omitted when it is the object of the verb in the relative clause. In this case, 'seeds' is the object of 'sow' (you sow seeds), so the relative pronoun can be left out. The entire phrase "What seeds you sow" acts as the subject of the main verb "determine".
Important Questions from Phrase Replacement
In the following question, out of the four alternatives, select the alternative which will improve the underlined part of the sentence. In case no improvement is needed, select “No improvement”
My old teacher gave many poor students money in spite of he was poor.
In the following question, out of the four alternatives, select the alternative which will improve the underlined part of the sentence. In case no improvement is needed, select “No improvement”.
You should to read the newspaper regularly if you want to be well-informed.
In the following question, out of the four alternatives, select the alternative which will improve the underlined part of the sentence. In case no improvement is needed, select “No improvement”.
If he had listening to me he would not have got lost.
In the following question, out of the four alternatives, select the alternative which will improve the underlined part of the sentence. In case no improvement is needed, select “No improvement”
He asked for a bank loan also he didn't have sufficient resources.
In the following question, out of the four alternatives, select the alternative which will improve the underlined part of the sentence. In case no improvement is needed, select “No improvement”.
I went to the shop to buy some stationeries .
