The flow of blood was so ________ that the patient died.
- (a)intense
- (b)adequate
- (c)profuse
- (d)extensive
Correct — C, 'profuse'. 'Profuse' means pouring out in great quantity, and it is the standard partner of bleeding — profuse bleeding is the usual phrase for blood loss heavy enough to kill. The clause 'so ________ that the patient died' asks for a word about sheer volume, which is what 'profuse' supplies.
- (a)intense — 'Intense' describes strength or concentration — intense pain, intense heat — rather than the amount of a liquid escaping.
- (b)adequate — 'Adequate' means sufficient for a purpose; it is an approving word and cannot describe blood loss that killed a patient.
- (d)extensive — 'Extensive' describes how far something spreads, as in extensive damage or extensive injuries, not how freely a fluid flows.
Adjectives of quantity and degree are not interchangeable, since each collocates with a particular class of noun, and a flow of blood takes 'profuse'.
Three of the options are perfectly respectable words that simply refuse to sit with 'flow of blood'. Trying each option inside the full phrase, instead of judging it on its own, is what separates them.
- 'Profuse' means abundant or copious, and it pairs with bleeding, sweating and apologies.
- 'Extensive' measures the area or range that something covers.
- 'Adequate' delivers a positive judgement — enough for the purpose in hand.
- Picking 'extensive' because it also suggests a large amount.
- Overlooking that 'adequate' approves of a quantity and so contradicts the outcome.
Asked as a selecting-words item — pick the word that fits the blank.
No directly related past PYQ was found.
- practice — not a real PYQ
He offered ________ apologies for arriving late.
- (a)extensive
- (b)profuse
- (c)adequate
- (d)intense
Answer(b) profuse — 'profuse' collocates with apologies and means given in great quantity.
- practice — not a real PYQ
The storm caused ________ damage across three districts.
- (a)profuse
- (b)intense
- (c)extensive
- (d)adequate
Answer(c) extensive — 'extensive' describes how widely the damage spread.