Question

A part of the sentence is underlined. Below are alternatives to the underlined part (a, b, and c) which may improve the sentence. Choose the correct alternative. In case no improvement is needed, select option d.
He declined all the allegations against him.
A. Agreed
B. Reused
C. Refuted
D. No improvement

Answer 1

Hint: You have to select a word whose meaning is to disprove allegations.

Complete step-by-step answer:

While conversing in English, it is important to use the correct word to fit that context. Otherwise, the whole sentence sounds incorrect. The trick is to single out the most accurate word that fits the context of the sentence and to use that word alone. This will give you a sentence that is grammatically correct and that sounds correct as well.
Let us consider an example. The sunsets in the evening.
What if that person doesn’t know the word sets and uses the word descends instead of ‘sets’ to describe the sunset?
The sun descends in the evening.
We know that this will sound incorrect as descends has been used in the wrong context. This faulty sentence may make sense to the person, but it will not make sense to anyone around him. Therefore, it is important to use the most accurate word in a given sentence.
Let us consider the question given above. We can understand that a man is trying to disprove certain allegations charged against him. However, the usage of the verb ‘declined’ is wrong here. This is because the decline is used in the context of refusing invitations. You can decline an invitation but you cannot decline an allegation. If you are disproving an allegation, you are refuting it. Therefore, the option ‘c’ is the correct answer.

Note: The word decline has a negative connotation to it. Therefore, the answer cannot be positive in connotation like agreed.