Fill in the blank in the given sentence with the correct word.
I was annoyed, _______ I kept quiet.
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 2
The correct answer is Option (2) → still
Complete sentence: I was annoyed, still I kept quiet. "Annoyed" and "kept quiet" pull in opposite directions. Being annoyed would usually make a person protest, but the speaker kept quiet. "Still" marks this contrast.
| Option | Meaning and use | Example |
|---|---|---|
| (1) then | what happens next (order in time). "I was annoyed, then I kept quiet" gives a sequence and loses the contrast. | Finish your homework, then go out to play. |
| (2) still (answer) | Still here means "in spite of that" or "nevertheless". It joins two clauses when the second is unexpected after the first. | The road was icy; still, he drove to work. |
| (3) when | When introduces the time of an action. It would only say that the annoyance and the silence happened together, not that one went against the other. | Call me when you reach home. |
| (4) than | Than is used after a comparative (taller than, more than). The sentence makes no comparison. (Then and than look alike: then is about time or order, than is used in comparisons.) | She is taller than her brother. |