Choose the most appropriate option to fill in the blank:
_____ she was very lonely, but now she has made a few friends.
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 1
The correct answer is Option (1) → Initially
Complete sentence: Initially she was very lonely, but now she has made a few friends. The sentence contrasts the past with the present ("but now"): at first she was lonely, but now she has made friends.
| Word | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| (1) Initially (answer) | at first, at the beginning | Initially he found the new city strange, but soon he began to like it. |
| (2) Fortunately | luckily (being lonely is not lucky, and the word does not set up the contrast with "now") | Fortunately, no one was hurt in the accident. |
| (3) Rarely | not often ("Rarely she was very lonely" is not natural English and gives no earlier time to contrast with "now") | He rarely watches television. |
| (4) Virtually | almost (it shows degree, not an earlier time) | The hall was virtually empty by evening. |