Choose the pair of words that best fills the blanks in the sentence:
Seeing the snake lying ______ on the warm rock, the boys wrongly ______ that it was dead, until it suddenly slid away into the bushes.
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 4
The correct answer is Option (4) → inert, presumed
Complete sentence: Seeing the snake lying inert on the warm rock, the boys wrongly presumed that it was dead, until it suddenly slid away into the bushes.
| Inert (answer) | Presumed (answer) | |
|---|---|---|
| Meaning | not moving at all, without any sign of life or action | believed that something was true without being sure of it |
| Example | After the long night shift, Papa lay inert on the sofa till lunch. | When Neha did not reply, we presumed she was busy with her exams. |
Why the Other Options are Incorrect?
Option 1: restless, concluded — Incorrect. Restless means moving about all the time, unable to stay still. Example: The puppy grew restless in the car and kept jumping between the seats.
Option 2: inert, denied — Incorrect. Denied means said that something was not true. Example: The boy denied that he had broken the window, but the ball was in his hand.
Option 3: alert, doubted — Incorrect. Alert means watchful and quick to notice things. Doubted means felt unsure that something was true. Example: The alert shopkeeper doubted that the five-hundred-rupee note was real and held it up to the light.