Choose the most appropriate option to fill in the blank in the given sentence:
The residents of the locality were seething ____ resentment over the inefficiency of the governing body, as it failed to uphold the promises made during the elections.
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 3
The correct answer is Option (3) → with
Complete sentence: The residents of the locality were seething with resentment over the inefficiency of the governing body, as it failed to uphold the promises made during the elections. The residents were full of resentment. The cause of the feeling is already given by "over the inefficiency of the governing body".
| Option | Used to show | Example |
|---|---|---|
| (1) in | place or position inside something. "Seething in resentment" is not standard English. | The keys are in the drawer. |
| (2) over | Over introduces the cause of the anger (seething over an insult), not the feeling itself. "Seething over resentment over the inefficiency" makes no sense. | The brothers quarrelled over the property. |
| (3) with (answer) | To seethe means to be filled with strong anger that one does not show openly. The feeling that fills a person takes with: seething with anger, rage, resentment. Deciding clue: the blank is followed by the feeling "resentment", and the cause comes later with "over". | The players were seething with anger at the referee's decision. |
| (4) after | a later time. It cannot introduce a feeling. | We went for a walk after dinner. |