Choose the sentences where the bold word is used correctly:
(A)They use mercury lamps to lighten the streets
(B)The sudden lighting was followed by a loud rumble of thunder.
(C) You must be careful while lightening the match.
(D) Everyone praised the extravagant lighting arrangements at the function.
Choose the correct answer from the options given below:
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 1
The correct answer is Option (1) → (A) and (D) only
(A) They use mercury lamps to lighten the streets. — Correct. Lighten means to make brighter (it also means to make less heavy); the lamps brighten the streets.
Example: The full moon lightened the dark path.
(B) The sudden lighting was followed by a loud rumble of thunder. — Incorrect. The flash in the sky before thunder is lightning (no "e"), while lighting means the lights in a place.
Correct form: The sudden lightning was followed by a loud rumble of thunder.
Example: A flash of lightning lit up the sky.
(C) You must be careful while lightening the match. — Incorrect. To set fire to a match is to light it, so the sentence needs "lighting the match"; "lightening" means making brighter or less heavy.
Correct form: You must be careful while lighting the match.
Example: She lit the lamp before the prayer.
(D) Everyone praised the extravagant lighting arrangements at the function. — Correct. Lighting means the arrangement of lights in a place.
Example: The lighting on the stage was perfect.
Contrast: "lighten" means make brighter or less heavy, "lighting" means the arrangement of lights (or setting fire to something), and "lightning" is the flash before thunder.