Fill in the Blanks Questions and Answers

Answer: B

The correct choice is starve: 'He would rather starve than beg.'

'Would rather' is followed by the bare infinitive, the base form of the verb without 'to', and the verb after 'than' takes the same form: 'would rather starve than beg'.

'To starve' adds the 'to' that 'would rather' does not take, 'starved' is a past form that does not follow it, and 'staring' is a different verb altogether.

Answer: A

The correct connector is than.

A comparative adjective ('more intelligent') is followed by than to introduce the thing compared: 'She is more intelligent than her sister.'

As is used for equal comparisons ('as intelligent as'), while that and before do not complete a comparison.

Answer: A

The right word is profound: 'His actions had a profound effect on the outcome.'

The blank sits between the article a and the noun effect, a position that needs an adjective. Profound is an adjective meaning very great or far-reaching, and 'a profound effect' is a common collocation.

Profoundly is an adverb and would modify a verb or adjective, not a noun. Profuse is an adjective but means abundant or plentiful ('profuse apologies'), which does not fit an effect. Profounding is not an English word.

Answer: B

The answer is Fragrance: a flower without fragrance.

Each comparison names the thing that gives something its life or worth: a body without a soul, an eye without light. For a flower, that essential quality is its fragrance, a pleasant scent.

Smell is neutral and can be unpleasant, so it does not express the loss of something precious. A flower without a petal or colour is a physical defect, not the loss of its essence that the parallel calls for.

Answer: A

The answer is so: His argument was so persuasive that it changed everyone's perspective.

The pattern so + adjective + that expresses a cause and its result: the argument was persuasive to such a degree that it changed views.

Too pairs with to and implies excess (too weak to convince), very cannot introduce a that clause of result, and much does not modify an adjective like persuasive this way.

Answer: A

The answer is Comprises: The United Kingdom comprises England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.

Comprise means 'consist of' or 'be made up of' and takes its parts directly as object, with no preposition. The whole comprises the parts.

Consists would need of (consists of England ...), so it does not fit the blank as printed. Combines means joins together and does not describe a whole made up of its parts, so 'None of these' is also wrong.

Answer: A

Correct answer: choices

Frost's poem turns on a traveller deciding between two roads, and the fork stands for the choices a person makes.

Fork is the image, not what it represents; sorry is a word from the poem, and both is what the traveller cannot take.

Answer: A

Correct answer: widespread

A hobby shared by many people is widespread.

Notable says it is worth remarking on rather than that many share it; inception and perspective are nouns and cannot modify hobby.

Answer: A

Correct answer: backed out

Back out means to withdraw from an agreement, which is what losing confidence at the last minute leads to.

Back down is to abandon a claim in an argument, and backed on and backed onto describe a building's aspect.

Answer: C

Correct answer: launched

A company launches a product - the standard verb for putting one on the market.

Started and begun take an activity, not a product, and commissioned means ordering work to be done.