Below are three alternatives which may be used to improve the sentence by…
2023
Below are three alternatives which may be used to improve the sentence by replacing the words given in the brackets. You may choose option 1, 2 or 3. In case no improvement is needed, choose 4.
I cannot (do with) a cup of coffee before breakfast .
- A.
Do
- B.
Do within
- C.
Do without
- D.
No improvement
Attempted by 10 students.
Show answer & explanation
Correct answer: C
Correct answer: "do without" — meaning "manage without".
Meaning: "do without" = "manage without". So the sentence becomes: "I cannot do without a cup of coffee before breakfast," which means the speaker is unable to manage without having coffee.
Why the other alternatives are incorrect:
Replacing with "Do" alone is incorrect because it does not form the idiom and leaves the sentence ungrammatical.
Replacing with "Do within" is not idiomatic and does not convey the intended meaning.
Choosing "No improvement" is incorrect because the original wording is not the correct phrase; the intended expression requires "do without."