Choose the most appropriate option to fill in the blank.
____ the government takes stringent measures, the problem will not be solved.
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 2
The correct answer is Option (2) → Unless
Complete sentence: Unless the government takes stringent measures, the problem will not be solved. The problem will be solved only if the government takes stringent (strict) measures. "Unless the government takes ..." = "If the government does not take ...", and then "the problem will not be solved".
| Option | Meaning and use | Example |
|---|---|---|
| (1) Although | contrast. It would mean that even strict measures will not solve the problem, which is not the sense of the sentence. | Although it was raining, they played the match. |
| (2) Unless (answer) | Unless means "if ... not". It introduces the one condition without which the result in the main clause will not happen. | Unless you hurry, you will miss the bus. |
| (3) As | reason (because). It would make the strict measures the cause of the problem not being solved, which makes no sense. | As he was ill, he stayed at home. |
| (4) When | time. It would say that the problem stays unsolved at the time the government acts, the reverse of the sense. | Call me when you reach home. |