Select the most appropriate option to replace the underlined part of the sentence. If no improvement is needed, choose ‘No improvement’.
Many a cricket ball have been lost in the thick bushes behind our school ground.
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 3
The correct answer is Option (3) → Many a cricket ball has been lost
“Many a” with a singular noun and verb:
- “Many a” means “many”, but it is followed by a singular noun and a singular verb.
- The given sentence says “Many a cricket ball have been lost”. This is wrong: the noun is singular, so the verb must be “has”.
- Complete sentence: Many a cricket ball has been lost in the thick bushes behind our school ground.
Why the Other Options are Incorrect?
Option 1: Many a cricket balls has been lost — Incorrect. After “many a”, the noun must be singular, so “balls” is wrong.
Option 2: Many cricket ball have been lost — Incorrect. “Many” without “a” needs a plural noun, so “ball” would have to be “balls”.