Choose a word that best replaces the underlined expression in the following sentence:
Most students find it difficult to work with Rivaan as he is too fastidious about minor details or rules.
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 1
The correct answer is Option (1) → pedantic
Two-step check: 1. Part of speech: after "too" the blank needs an adjective (peddler and precinct are nouns). 2. Meaning: fussy about small details and rules. Only "pedantic" passes both.
Pedantic means too concerned with minor details or formal rules (a pedant is such a person). Students find Rivaan difficult to work with because he insists on small details and rules, which is what "pedantic" describes.
Example: The pedantic examiner cut marks for every missing comma.
Why the Other Options are Incorrect?
Option 2: peddler — Incorrect. A peddler is a person who goes from place to place selling small goods; it is a noun and cannot follow "he is too".
Example: A peddler was selling toys at the fair.
Option 3: preposterous — Incorrect. Preposterous means completely unreasonable or absurd; it does not describe fussiness about details.
Example: The demand for a tenfold rise in rent was preposterous.
Option 4: precinct — Incorrect. A precinct is an area within fixed boundaries, such as the grounds of a temple or a police district; it is a noun with no link to the sentence.
Example: No vehicles are allowed within the temple precincts.