Megha’s habit of procrastination puts her colleagues on lot of trouble .
to a lot of trouble
Understanding Sentence Improvement and Idioms
The question asks us to select the best option to replace the underlined part "on lot of trouble" in the sentence: "Megha’s habit of procrastination puts her colleagues on lot of trouble." This is a sentence improvement question focusing on correct prepositions and idiomatic phrases.
Analyzing the Original Phrase: "on lot of trouble"
The original phrase "on lot of trouble" is grammatically incorrect for two main reasons:
- The preposition "on" is not the correct one typically used with the verb "put" and the noun "trouble" in this context.
- The phrase "lot of trouble" is missing the indefinite article "a". The correct phrase is "a lot of trouble".
The common idiom is "put someone to trouble" or "put someone to a lot of trouble," meaning to cause inconvenience or difficulty for someone.
Evaluating the Options for Sentence Improvement
Let's examine each option to see which one correctly replaces the underlined part and improves the sentence.
| Option | Phrase | Analysis |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | to a lot of trouble | This option uses the correct preposition "to" and includes the necessary article "a" in the phrase "a lot of trouble". This aligns with the common idiom "put someone to a lot of trouble". |
| 2 | into lot troubles | This option uses the preposition "into", which is incorrect in this idiomatic context. It also uses "lot troubles", which is not a standard English phrase; it is missing the article "a" and "troubles" is plural when "a lot of trouble" (meaning a large amount of difficulty) is typically used with the singular "trouble". |
| 3 | No improvement required | As discussed, the original phrase "on lot of trouble" is incorrect due to the wrong preposition ("on") and the missing article ("a"). Therefore, improvement is required. |
| 4 | in lot of troubles | This option uses the preposition "in", which is incorrect in this idiomatic context. While "a lot of troubles" is grammatically possible (referring to many specific problems), the more common idiom is "a lot of trouble". Crucially, the preposition "in" is not used with "put someone" in this sense. |
Selecting the Best Option
Based on the analysis of the original sentence and the options, option 1, "to a lot of trouble," correctly uses the preposition "to" and the phrase "a lot of trouble," fitting the standard English idiom "put someone to a lot of trouble."
The corrected sentence would be: "Megha’s habit of procrastination puts her colleagues to a lot of trouble."
Conclusion on Sentence Improvement
The underlined phrase needs improvement because it uses the incorrect preposition "on" and omits the article "a" before "lot of trouble". Option 1, "to a lot of trouble", correctly uses the preposition "to" and the phrase "a lot of trouble", making the sentence grammatically sound and idiomatic.
Revision Table: Comparing Options
| Phrase | Correct Preposition? | Correct Article/Plural? | Idiomatic? |
|---|---|---|---|
| on lot of trouble (Original) | No (should be 'to') | No (missing 'a') | No |
| to a lot of trouble (Option 1) | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| into lot troubles (Option 2) | No | No | No |
| in lot of troubles (Option 4) | No | Partially (missing 'a', 'troubles' less common) | No |
Additional Information: The Idiom "Put Someone to Trouble"
The phrase "put someone to trouble" or "put someone to a lot of trouble" is an established English idiom. It means to cause someone difficulty, bother them, or make extra work for them.
Examples:
- I hope this won't put you to too much trouble.
- His late arrival put the organizers to a lot of trouble.
Understanding common idioms and the prepositions that accompany them is crucial for mastering English grammar and sentence structure.
Similar Questions
- Select the option that will improve the underlined part of the given sentence. In case no improvement is needed, select 'No improvement required'.
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Important Questions from Phrase Replacement
- Select the option that will improve the underlined part of the given sentence. In case no improvement is needed, select 'No improvement required'.
The doors and windows will have painted by afternoon. Select the most appropriate option that can substitute the underlined segment in the given sentence. If there is no need to substitute it, select ‘No substitution required’.
The authorities are assured the people that they will look into the matter.
Select the word segment that substitutes (replaces) the bracketed word segment correctly and completes the sentence meaningfully. Select the option 'no correction required' if the sentence is correct as given.
Some (animal activist are horrified at the suffering of) innocent animals.
Select the most appropriate option to substitute the underlined segment in the given sentence. If there is no need to substitute it, No substitution required.
Not knowing the language and having no acquaintances in the city, he found it hard getting work.
Select the most appropriate option to substitute the underlined segment in the given sentence.
Gayatri informed one of the directors that she has sent the material for printing.
