Choose the most appropriate option to fill in the blank:
Irritated at being disturbed during the last over of the match, the shopkeeper replied ______, ‘Closed. Come tomorrow,’ and turned back to his TV.
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 2
The correct answer is Option (2) → tersely
Complete sentence: Irritated at being disturbed during the last over of the match, the shopkeeper replied tersely, ‘Closed. Come tomorrow,’ and turned back to his TV.
| Word | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| (1) warmly | in a friendly and kind way | Our new neighbours greeted us warmly with a box of sweets. |
| (2) tersely (answer) | in very few words, in a short and rather unfriendly way (fits “Closed. Come tomorrow.”) | Asked about the defeat, the captain said tersely, ‘No comments,’ and walked off. |
| (3) evasively | in a way that avoids giving a direct answer | When asked about his marks, Kunal answered evasively and started talking about cricket. |
| (4) timidly | shyly and nervously, without confidence | Sunil timidly knocked on the principal’s door and waited outside. |