Select the most appropriate option to fill in the blank.

My mother ______ the maid for her hard work.

praised

The most appropriate option to fill in the blank is praised.

The word praised means to express admiration for someone or something. In this case, the sentence is saying that my mother praised the maid for her hard work. This means that my mother expressed admiration for the maid's hard work.

The other options do not make sense in the context of the sentence.

• Priced means to set a monetary value on something. It cannot be used in this sentence because it does not describe the act of expressing admiration.
• Prized means to value or cherish something highly. It cannot be used in this sentence because it does not describe the act of expressing admiration in a specific moment.
• Prayed means to address a deity or supernatural being in a solemn request or expression of thanks. It cannot be used in this sentence because it does not describe the act of expressing admiration.