In the following passage, some words have been deleted. Read the passage carefully and select the most appropriate option, in the questions that follow, to fill in each blank. Listening starts with hearing but goes (1)___________. Hearing, in other words, is necessary, but is not a sufficient (2)___________ for listening. Listening involves hearing with attention. Listening is a process that (3)___________ concentration. While listening, one should also be observant. In other words, listening has to do with the ears, (4)____________ with the eyes and the mind. Listening is to be understood as the total process that involves hearing with attention, being observant and making interpretations. Good communication is essentially a/an (5)___________ process.
Select the most appropriate option to fill in blank number 4.
- (a)although
- (b)rather
- (c)yet
- (d)as well as
Answer
Why
Correct — D. The sentence is In other words, listening has to do with the ears, (4)____________ with the eyes and the mind.
Both sides of the blank are prepositional phrases - "with the ears" and "with the eyes and the mind". The joiner must be able to link two phrases, not two clauses.
As well as does exactly that, and it adds rather than contrasts: the ears, and also the eyes and the mind. That is the paragraph's argument, which has just told the listener to be observant. Option (d).
Why the others are wrong
- (a)although — Although introduces a subordinate clause and needs a subject and a finite verb after it. What follows the blank is a prepositional phrase, so this fails on structure before it fails on sense.
- (b)rather — Rather corrects a preceding statement and normally follows a negative - not X, rather Y. The passage is not withdrawing the ears, it keeps them and adds to them.
- (c)yet — Yet is contrastive, so it would make the eyes and the mind an exception to the ears. The paragraph joins them instead, having just asked the listener to be observant.
Concept
Connector blanks are settled by the direction of the argument, and then by what the connector is allowed to join.
As well as is additive and links like with like - two noun phrases, two prepositional phrases, two -ing forms. It is the phrase-level equivalent of "and also".
Contrastive connectors such as although, yet and but all need the second element to cut against the first. Here the second element extends the first, since eyes and mind join the ears rather than opposing them.
So check the logic first, adding or contrasting, and only then check that the winner can grammatically join the two things on either side.
A quick cross-check: replace the blank with "and also". If the sentence still says what the paragraph says, the connector you want is additive, and only one option on this list is.
Key facts
- As well as is additive and can join two phrases, not only two clauses.
- Although introduces a subordinate clause and requires a subject with a finite verb.
- Rather normally follows the negative statement it is correcting.
- When a subject is extended by as well as, the verb agrees with the first subject, as in The teacher as well as the students is present.
Study next
Common traps
- Choosing yet because the sentence opens with In other words, which sounds like a turn in the argument.
- Treating although as a phrase connector when it can only open a clause.
Connector blanks are keyed at 9 Sep 2024, 09:00, English Q.21 (However), English Q.23 (Moreover) and English Q.25 (Therefore), all inside one passage, and at 19 Sep 2024, 12:30, English Q.23 (Although).
Each is decided the same way: read whether the argument is adding, contrasting or concluding, then check what the connector can join.
Related PYQs
No directly related past PYQ was found.