Choose the appropriate option to complete the following sentence:
You should always ______ your friends when they are in trouble.
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 3
The correct answer is Option (3) → stand by
Stand by means to support someone and stay loyal to them, especially in a difficult time. Friends who are in trouble need support, so "always stand by your friends" fits the sentence.
Example: Her family stood by her throughout the long illness.
Why the Other Options are Incorrect?
Option 1: stand back from — Incorrect. Stand back from means to move away from something, or to keep a distance from it in order to judge it calmly; it is not about helping friends.
Example: The police asked the crowd to stand back from the gate.
Option 2: stand in — Incorrect. Stand in (usually "stand in for") means to take someone's place for a short time.
Example: The vice-captain will stand in for the captain in the next match.
Option 4: stand up — Incorrect. Stand up means to rise to one's feet. "Stand up for" means to defend, but "stand up your friends" means to fail to meet them as promised, the opposite of support.
Example: The students stood up when the principal entered.
The following words have also been asked in other CUET (UG) English papers:
| Word | 2026 | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| stand by | 19-05 S1 20-05 S1 | 23-05 S2 | – | 13-06 S3 19-06 S2 23-06 S2 | – |