Choose the correct word from the given options to fill in the blank in the following sentence:
Take the water ______ the clock strikes twelve.
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 2
The correct answer is Option (2) → ere
Ere is an old, literary word meaning before. It joins the two parts of the sentence: take the water before the clock strikes twelve.
Complete sentence: Take the water ere the clock strikes twelve.
Example: We must reach the village ere nightfall.
The four options sound alike: ere is said like "air", err like "ur", and ewe and yew are both said like "you"; only the meaning tells them apart.
Why the Other Options are Incorrect?
Option 1: err — Incorrect. Err is a verb meaning to make a mistake; it cannot join two clauses.
Example: To err is human, to forgive divine.
Option 3: ewe — Incorrect. A ewe is a female sheep.
Example: The ewe stayed close to her lamb.
Option 4: yew — Incorrect. A yew is an evergreen tree with dark needle-like leaves.
Example: An old yew stood beside the church gate.