Our new leader is a ________ young man and will take us forward.
- (a)haughty
- (b)intoxicated
- (c)fanciful
- (d)dynamic
Answer
Why
Correct: D, dynamic. The clause 'and will take us forward' is an approving prediction, so the adjective joined to it by 'and' must also be approving, and 'dynamic' (full of energy, drive and new ideas) is the only option that praises rather than criticises.
Why the others are wrong
- (a)haughty: 'Haughty' means arrogantly proud and looking down on others, a fault rather than a qualification, so it pulls against the confidence of the second half.
- (b)intoxicated: 'Intoxicated' means drunk, or carried away past good sense, which is not a reason to expect a leader to take anyone forward.
- (c)fanciful: 'Fanciful' describes someone given to unrealistic notions, and an unrealistic leader is the opposite of one who can be relied on to make progress.
Concept
A word-choice item in which the tone of the second clause, not its literal content, fixes the adjective.
The word 'and' is the whole clue. It joins the blank to a promise of progress, so whatever fills the blank has to point the same way. Three options carry a negative charge and can be struck out together the moment a candidate asks whether the sentence is praising the leader or complaining about him.
Key facts
- 'Dynamic' comes from Greek dunamis, power, and is used of people to mean energetic and forceful in bringing change.
- 'Haughty' and 'arrogant' both describe overbearing pride; 'haughty' stresses the looking-down, 'arrogant' the claiming of more than one's due.
Study next
Common traps
- Reading the blank in isolation and choosing a vivid adjective whose charge clashes with the rest of the sentence.
Asked as a fill-the-blank item where one linking word decides whether the adjective must praise or criticise.
Related PYQs
No directly related past PYQ was found.
Practice
- practice, not a real PYQ
Choose the word that best fills the blank: She is a ________ officer and has already turned the department round.
- (a)diffident
- (b)resourceful
- (c)querulous
- (d)indolent
Answer(b) resourceful: 'and has already turned the department round' calls for an approving word. - practice, not a real PYQ
Choose the word that best fills the blank: He is a ________ man and no one in the office dares to disagree with him.
- (a)genial
- (b)modest
- (c)domineering
- (d)obliging
Answer(c) domineering: the second clause reports fear, so the adjective must be a fault.