Complete the following sentence using the most appropriate option:
Amit is a/an__________________ friend of mine. I was very happy to see him again almost after a decade.
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 1
The correct answer is Option (1) → old
An old friend is a friend one has known for a long time; here "old" describes the friendship, not the friend's age. The speaker met him again after almost a decade, which shows a long friendship.
Complete sentence: Amit is an old friend of mine. I was very happy to see him again almost after a decade.
Example: I met an old friend from school at the wedding.
Why the Other Options are Incorrect?
Option 2: elder — Incorrect. Elder means older of two people, used mainly for members of a family (elder brother, elder sister); "an elder friend" is not used for a long friendship.
Example: My elder sister works in Pune.
Option 3: older — Incorrect. Older is the comparative of "old" for age; "an older friend" means a friend of greater age, which is not what the sentence is about.
Example: Ravi is two years older than his cousin.
Option 4: earlier — Incorrect. Earlier means happening before in time; "an earlier friend" is not an English phrase for a long-standing friend.
Example: We took an earlier train to avoid the rush.
Contrast: an old friend is one known for a long time; elder is used mainly for older family members, and older compares age.