Fill in the blank with the most appropriate option:
The university students, fed up with the long list of approvals they must secure before organising an event, said to the principal, "Madam, these long processes are nothing else ____ red-tapism, which hinder our ability to respond to the needs of the student community."
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 4
The correct answer is Option (4) → but
Complete sentence: The university students, fed up with the long list of approvals they must secure before organising an event, said to the principal, "Madam, these long processes are nothing else but red-tapism, which hinder our ability to respond to the needs of the student community." The students say that the long processes are only red-tapism, so they are "nothing else but red-tapism".
| Option | Used to show | Example |
|---|---|---|
| (1) beside | next to or at the side of. It shows position, so “nothing else beside red-tapism” makes no sense. | She sat beside her mother. |
| (2) as | a role or a comparison of equality. “Nothing else as red-tapism” is not an English pattern. The phrase needs “but”. | He works as a clerk in the bank. |
| (3) like | similar to. “Nothing else like red-tapism” would mean that nothing resembles red-tapism, not that the processes are only red-tapism. | She sings like a nightingale. |
| (4) but (answer) | Here but works as a preposition meaning except or other than. “Nothing (else) but X” means “only X”. | The rumour turned out to be nothing but a lie. |