Select the option that will improve the underlined part of the given sentence. In case no improvement is needed, select 'No improvement required'.
Only by his prudence, he would have incurred a heavy loss.
Show answer & explanation
Correct answer: A
Explanation
The correct answer is option 1 i.e. But for.
Error Concept: "Only by" is incorrect in this context.
We want to express: “If not for his prudence, he would have incurred a heavy loss.”
The phrase "But for" means "if it were not for" – which fits best here.
Final Sentence: But for his prudence, he would have incurred a heavy loss.
Hence, the chosen option will be correct.