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
"Still" as a linking word of contrast:
- Still here means "in spite of that" or "nevertheless"; it joins two clauses when the second is unexpected after the first.
- Deciding clue: "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.
- Complete sentence: I was annoyed, still I kept quiet.
Example: The road was icy; still, he drove to work.
Why the Other Options are Incorrect?
Option 1: then — Incorrect. Then shows what happens next (order in time); "I was annoyed, then I kept quiet" gives a sequence and loses the contrast.
Example: Finish your homework, then go out to play.
Option 3: when — Incorrect. 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.
Example: Call me when you reach home.
Option 4: than — Incorrect. 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.)
Example: She is taller than her brother.
Contrast: "still" shows a contrast, "then" shows order in time, "when" shows the time of an action, and "than" is used in comparisons.