The underlined words are not appropriate for formal correspondence. Choose the correct option.
The quarterly payment is three weeks late.
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 2
The correct answer is Option (2) → overdue
Complete sentence: The quarterly payment is overdue. Overdue is the formal word for a payment that is late, so it suits formal correspondence.
| Word | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| (1) sufficient | enough (it says nothing about a payment being late) | We have sufficient food for the trip. |
| (2) overdue (answer) | not paid or done by the time it was due | The library sent a reminder about my overdue books. |
| (3) elapsed | used for time passing (three weeks have elapsed, but a payment does not elapse) | Two years have elapsed since we last met. |
| (4) settled | already paid (a settled payment is the opposite of being late) | He settled the hotel bill before leaving. |