Fill in the blank with the most appropriate word from the options :
The music teacher ________ appreciated the students' performance even though they practised a lot.
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 3
The correct answer is Option (3) → seldom
An adverb is a word that tells how, when, where or how much something happens. It can also describe an adjective or another adverb, for example she sings sweetly, very hot.
Complete sentence: The music teacher seldom appreciated the students' performance even though they practised a lot. The clause "even though they practised a lot" shows a contrast: in spite of all the practice, the teacher rarely praised the performance. Only "seldom" gives this unexpected result.
| Option | What it tells | Example |
|---|---|---|
| (1) rather | Rather is an adverb of degree meaning fairly, to some extent. "Rather appreciated" gives no contrast with all the practice. | The film was rather long. |
| (2) greatly | very much. Great praise would be the expected result of hard practice, so "even though" would make no sense. | Your help is greatly appreciated. |
| (3) seldom (answer) | Seldom is an adverb of frequency meaning rarely, hardly ever. | He seldom visits his village now. |
| (4) later | Later is an adverb of time meaning afterwards. It tells when, not how often, and gives no contrast. | I will call you later. |