Choose the most appropriate option to fill in the blank in the given sentence:
We were instructed to keep the things in the room in an ______ manner.
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 2
The correct answer is Option (2) → orderly
An adjective is a word that describes a noun or a pronoun, for example a tall tree, the food is tasty.
Complete sentence: We were instructed to keep the things in the room in an orderly manner. In "in an ... manner" the missing word stands before the noun manner, so an adjective is needed.
| Option | What it tells | Example |
|---|---|---|
| (1) ordainly | "Ordainly" is not a word in standard English. (The verb "ordain" means to make someone a priest, or to order something officially.) | – |
| (2) orderly (answer) | Not every word ending in -ly is an adverb: orderly, friendly, lovely and costly are adjectives. Orderly means neat, well arranged and organised, which is how the things in the room are to be kept. | The students left the hall in an orderly line. |
| (3) ordinarily | It is an adverb, and an adverb cannot describe the noun "manner". It means usually or normally, which has nothing to do with neatness. | – |
| (4) ordering | Ordering is the -ing form of the verb "order" (giving commands or asking for goods). "An ordering manner" is not used in English. | She is ordering books online. |