Fill in the blank with the most appropriate word from the options given below:
“Please do not see the new rule as a punishment,” the principal told the students. “It is ______ a reminder that phones must stay in the lockers during exams.”
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 4
The correct answer is Option (4) → merely
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: “Please do not see the new rule as a punishment,” the principal told the students. “It is merely a reminder that phones must stay in the lockers during exams.” The principal says the rule is not “a punishment”. She wants it to sound small: it is only a reminder.
| Option | What it tells | Example |
|---|---|---|
| (1) hardly | almost not | The fan was so noisy that I could hardly hear the teacher. |
| (2) seldom | not often | My uncle seldom eats food from outside. |
| (3) scarcely | almost not, just like hardly | There was scarcely any water left in the tank. |
| (4) merely (answer) | adverb of degree: only or just; it makes a thing sound small and simple | The doctor said it was merely a cold and nothing serious. |