Choose the most appropriate word to fill in the blank:
The foul smell from the ____ of a dog lying in the central park was making it impossible to go for the morning walk.
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 1
The correct answer is Option (1) → carcass
A carcass is the dead body of an animal. A dead dog lying in the park would give off the foul smell described in the sentence.
Example: Vultures gathered round the carcass of a buffalo.
The four options look and sound alike: carcass (dead animal body), corpus (a collection of writings), corps (a group of people, pronounced "core"), coarse (rough; it sounds like "course").
Why the Other Options are Incorrect?
Option 2: corpus — Incorrect. A corpus is a collection of written texts, for example all the works of one writer; it is not a dead body.
Example: The scholar studied the whole corpus of Kalidasa's plays.
Option 3: corps — Incorrect. A corps is a group of people working together, such as a unit of the army; it has nothing to do with a dead animal.
Example: He joined the army medical corps.
Option 4: coarse — Incorrect. Coarse is an adjective meaning rough in texture or rude; the blank after "the" needs a noun.
Example: The blanket was made of coarse wool.