Choose the correct word to fill in the blank in the given sentence:-
In _____, I think I should have been more patient with my learning process.
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 3
The correct answer is Option (3) → retrospect
Complete sentence: In retrospect, I think I should have been more patient with my learning process. The speaker looks back at the learning process and judges it ("I should have been more patient"), which is what "in retrospect" expresses.
| Word | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| (1) memory | the power to recall the past, or a thing recalled ("in memory" is used for honouring the dead, as in "in memory of", not for judging one's past actions) | A tree was planted in memory of the late headmaster. |
| (2) recollection | the act of recalling something (it is used as "to my recollection", not "in recollection" with a judgement) | He has no recollection of the accident. |
| (3) retrospect (answer) | "in retrospect" means looking back on a past event and judging it with what one knows now (it is a fixed phrase) | In retrospect, I should have started preparing earlier. |
| (4) reminiscence | a pleasant story or thought about the past (it describes recalling the past fondly, not judging what one should have done) | Grandfather's reminiscences of village life kept us laughing. |