How to Approach Phrase Replacement Questions? Tips & Tricks

In this article, we will be understanding the approach to solving the phrase replacement questions with suitable examples. 

What is Phrase Replacement in Bank Exams?

A phrase replacement question is one in which a specific part of a sentence will be highlighted as wrong and the candidate will have to tick the correct option that can replace that wrong part.

Types of Phrase Replacement

You can expect 2 types of Phrase Replacement questions in bank exams.

• Based on grammar
• Based on phrase/vocabulary.

Importance of Phrase Replacement in Bank Exams

• You can expect 4-5 questions from this chapter in both prelims as well main exams of all the bank and insurance exams.
• With a little practice and dedication, you can easily answer these questions with 100% accuracy.
• By scoring good marks in this section, you can increase your chances of final selection.

Tips to Solve Phrase Replacement Questions

1. The questions on this topic are asked to check your knowledge of grammar rules. In this, a question is given with a part of it being underlined or bold. The question is followed by five options which state the alternative ways of writing the underlined or bold part of the statement.

2. To solve these questions, read the sentence carefully first to understand the meaning of the sentence. Then, analyze the meaning and tone of the given sentence i.e, positive, negative, sarcastic, critical, or analytical. After that, find the correct option that will make the sentence grammatically correct and meaningful.

3. If you are not able to analyze the right answer, then use the elimination approach. Try to eliminate the inappropriate options. We know that the correct option or answer will be grammatically correct so eliminate all grammatically incorrect options. This approach will help you to find the answers quickly.

4. When you will find out the correct option, then replace it with the bold or underline part and read the whole sentence once again. Make sure that the meaning of the sentence doesn’t change while replacing the underlined or bold part. 

5. It is not necessary that there should always be errors present in the sentence. Often, there are no errors present in the statement and the sentence is grammatically correct. Try to avoid the trend of always finding errors in a sentence. Sometimes no correction is required in a sentence in this situation choose the “No correction required” option.

6. Now, to find the error in the sentence you must have a good knowledge of Grammar Rules. Remember to check the tense and the correct usage of the verb. Many times the tense is written wrongly or the verb is misplaced. This will help you to solve the questions easily and quickly. 

Study Material:

• Grammar Scholar Series
• Idioms and Phrases
• Phrasal Verbs

Now, we will be discussing some questions with detailed explanations so that you can have an idea of commonly asked questions. 

Important Questions on Phrase Replacement

Direction: In the following question, a part of the sentence is bold. Below the sentence alternatives to the bold part are given at (A), (B), (C), and (D) which may improve the sentence. Choose the correct alternative. In case the given sentence is correct, your answer is (E) i.e. No correction required. 1. In the course of the crisis, central banks turned up the liquidity taps as the lender of last resort, but in the light of public anger at the banking sector that caused the crisis, this looked like favorable treatment.

1. Turned on
2. Turned down
3. Turned back
4. Turned in
5. No improvement

Answer: Option "a"

Solution: The correct phrase here would be ‘turned on’ which means ‘started the procedure’. E.g. 'Would you please turn on the water tap?' 
‘Turned up’ means ‘to appear’ which is incorrect here. E.g. 'Her friends waited for a long time, but she didn't turn up.' 
‘Turned down’ means ‘rejected’. E.g. 'Would you please turn down the music a little?' 
‘Turned back’ means ‘to go in the reverse direction’. E.g. 'He has gone too far to turn back now. 
‘Turned in’ means ‘be a part of a plan’. E.g. 'John turned in a great musician'. 
All these options do not convey the meaning as required by the given statement in the question. Only option A makes the most appropriate fit.

Direction: Which of the phrases given at A, B, C, and D can replace the phrase printed in bold in the given sentence? If the given sentence is correct as it is, mark E i.e. no change/ correction required. 2. Due to his alcoholism and vicious temper, the servants were always left to face the brunt of his terrifying antics.

1. left to serve the brunt of his terrifying antics.
2. left to hold the brunt of his terrifying antics.
3. left to bear the brunt of his terrifying antics.
4. left to feel the brunt of his terrifying antics.
5. No correction is required.

Answer: Option "c"

Solution: The answer to this is 'left to bear the brunt of his terrifying antics.' To bear the brunt is an idiom that means to suffer the worst part of an unpleasant or problematic situation.  

Direction: Which of the phrases (A), (B), (C), and (D) given in each question can replace the part underlined in the given statement? If the given sentence is correct as it is, mark 'no error/ no change required' as the answer.