Fill in the blank with the most appropriate word.
Ravi had studied so hard all term that he could ______ believe he had failed the test.
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 2
The correct answer is Option (2) → hardly
An adverb is a word that tells how, when, where or how much something happens. It can also describe an adjective or another adverb, for example she sings sweetly, very hot.
Complete sentence: Ravi had studied so hard all term that he could hardly believe he had failed the test. Ravi had studied hard all term, so he was shocked that he had failed.
| Option | What it tells | Example |
|---|---|---|
| (1) hard | as an adverb, with a lot of effort: “could hard believe” is not correct English | The farmers worked hard in the hot sun. |
| (2) hardly (answer) | almost not: “could hardly believe” means he found it very difficult to believe | The hall was so noisy that I could hardly hear the speaker. |
| (3) seldom | not often: it tells how many times something happens, but here there is one result | My grandmother seldom watches television. |
| (4) rarely | also not often: it talks about many occasions, not one moment of shock | It rarely snows in Chennai. |