Fill in the blank in the following sentence with the most appropriate option:
The committee has __________ been disbanded, though no official announcements have been made and the company website still features the name of the committee.
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 1
The correct answer is Option (1) → apparently
Complete sentence: The committee has apparently been disbanded, though no official announcements have been made and the company website still features the name of the committee. No official announcement has been made and the website still shows the committee, so the disbanding only seems to have happened.
| Word | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| (1) apparently (answer) | as it seems, from what one hears or sees, though it is not confirmed | Apparently, the match has been postponed, but nobody has told us officially. |
| (2) obliquely | indirectly, or at a slant (it does not express that something is unconfirmed) | He referred obliquely to his mistake. |
| (3) earnestly | sincerely and seriously (it does not fit a fact that is only rumoured) | She pleaded earnestly for help. |
| (4) orderly | neat and well organised (it is an adjective, not an adverb, and the meaning does not fit) | The students formed an orderly queue. |