Choose the most appropriate option to fill in the blank:
The seniors at the base camp had warned Kavin that the trek to the ridge would take at least six hours, ______ he set out after lunch with a single bottle of water.
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 1
The correct answer is Option (1) → yet
Complete sentence: The seniors at the base camp had warned Kavin that the trek to the ridge would take at least six hours, yet he set out after lunch with a single bottle of water. Kavin was told the trek was long. We would expect him to start early with plenty of water, but he did the opposite.
| Option | Meaning and use | Example |
|---|---|---|
| (1) yet (answer) | after a comma, it means but in spite of that. It joins two facts when the second is not what we expect after the first | The tea stall was tiny, yet it was always crowded. |
| (2) despite | means in spite of, but it is followed by a noun or an -ing word, not by a full clause with its own verb | Despite the heavy traffic, we reached the station on time. |
| (3) so | shows the result of what is said before it | The canteen was closed, so we ate at the dhaba outside. |
| (4) unless | means if not | You cannot enter the lab unless you wear a lab coat. |