Fill in the blank with the appropriate word from the given options:
She would _____ do anything for her friends.
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 2
The correct answer is Option (2) → fain
Fain is an old-fashioned word meaning gladly or willingly; it is mostly used in the phrase would fain (would gladly). The sentence means that she would gladly do anything for her friends.
Complete sentence: She would fain do anything for her friends.
Example: I would fain help you, but I have no money.
The four options sound or look alike: feign (to pretend), fain (gladly), faint (weak; to lose consciousness) and feint (a pretended attack).
Why the Other Options are Incorrect?
Option 1: feign — Incorrect. Feign is a verb meaning to pretend to have a feeling or an illness; "would feign do" is not English.
Example: He feigned illness to miss the test.
Option 3: faint — Incorrect. Faint means weak or not clear, or, as a verb, to lose consciousness; it cannot describe "do".
Example: She fainted in the heat.
Option 4: feint — Incorrect. A feint is a movement made to deceive an opponent, as in boxing or football.
Example: The boxer made a feint with his left hand.