Choose the most appropriate option to fill in the blank in the given sentence:
The new rules on single-use plastic bags were ______ reported in the newspapers, yet half the shopkeepers in our market say they never heard of them.
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 4
The correct answer is Option (4) → widely
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: The new rules on single-use plastic bags were widely reported in the newspapers, yet half the shopkeepers in our market say they never heard of them. “Widely reported” means many papers carried the news. The word “yet” shows a contrast: the shopkeepers say they never heard of it.
| Option | What it tells | Example |
|---|---|---|
| (1) wide | as an adverb, fully or as far as possible | The child opened her mouth wide for the dentist. |
| (2) wildly | in an uncontrolled way | The crowd cheered wildly when the last ball went for six. |
| (3) rarely | not often | It rarely rains in Jaisalmer. |
| (4) widely (answer) | adverb of manner: by many people or in many places | Cricket is widely played in the villages of Punjab. |