Fill in the blank with the correct adverb:
At the parent-teacher meeting, Ms Kapoor spoke ______ about Arjun’s falling marks and told his parents everything, even the parts they did not want to hear.
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 1
The correct answer is Option (1) → candidly
An adverb is a word that tells how, when, where or how much something happens. It can also describe an adjective or another adverb, for example she sings sweetly, very hot.
Complete sentence: At the parent-teacher meeting, Ms Kapoor spoke candidly about Arjun’s falling marks and told his parents everything, even the parts they did not want to hear. The blank tells how Ms Kapoor spoke, so it needs an adverb. She “told his parents everything, even the parts they did not want to hear”.
| Option | What it tells | Example |
|---|---|---|
| (1) candidly (answer) | adverb of manner: openly and honestly, even about unpleasant things | The coach spoke candidly about the team’s poor fielding. |
| (2) candid | an adjective: it describes a noun, as in “a candid reply”; it cannot describe the verb “spoke” | Dadi gave a candid opinion of my new haircut. |
| (3) guardedly | carefully, without saying too much | The shopkeeper answered guardedly when asked about his profits. |
| (4) vaguely | in an unclear way, without details | Nani could only vaguely describe the man who took her purse. |