Fill in the blanks with the correct pair of words arranged sequentially:
The fire brigade reached the burning godown ______, so the workers could ______ only a few sacks of rice from it.
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 4
The correct answer is Option (4) → belatedly, salvage
Complete sentence: The fire brigade reached the burning godown belatedly, so the workers could salvage only a few sacks of rice from it.
| Belatedly (answer) | Salvage (answer) | |
|---|---|---|
| Meaning | later than it should have been, or too late | to save things from a fire, flood or accident |
| Example | Rohan belatedly wished his friend a happy birthday, two days after the party. | After the flood, the family could salvage only a few photographs and the gas cylinder. |
Why the Other Options are Incorrect?
Option 1: belatedly, hoard — Incorrect. Hoard means to collect and store a large amount of something, often secretly. Example: Some traders hoard onions when prices start to rise.
Option 2: promptly, discard — Incorrect. Promptly means quickly and without delay. Discard means to throw away something that is not wanted. Example: Mother promptly told us to discard the stale bread.
Option 3: hurriedly, abandon — Incorrect. Hurriedly means very quickly, in a rush. Abandon means to leave something or someone behind for ever. Example: The villagers had to abandon their huts hurriedly when the river rose.