Question

Choose the correct word/ phrase to complete the sentence.
It is raining ___________ today. The monsoon has set in.
a) Heavy
b) Hardly
c) Heavily
d) Toughly

Answer 1

Hint:In the above-given sentence the word in the blank has to describe the verb – raining. This implies that the word would be an adverb.

Complete answer:
We have four options for the given question and one of them is the correct answer. So, to find the correct solution let us look into each of the options, their meaning, and usage.
But first, let us understand our requirement to solve the question – in the above sentence we need an adverb which describes the word ‘raining’.
Now,
Option ‘a’ – heavy is an adjective that describes a noun. The meaning of heavy would be – ‘something or someone of great weight’, or ‘something that is difficult to move or lift’ etc. This is not an adverb hence it is the incorrect solution.
Option ‘b’ – hardly is an adverb which means ‘only just’, ‘certainly not’ or ‘scarcely’ etc. This is incorrect because in monsoon the rains pour down, hardly would imply that the rain is scarce which is not a sign of monsoon. Also using this would be grammatically wrong as hardly follows and not precedes the verb in the above sentence.
Option ‘c’ – heavily is an adverb which means ‘with a lot of force’ or ‘in large amounts’ etc. The word heavily in the sentence would describe the verb raining and it also follows the verb and gives the meaning – that rain is pouring down in large amounts. Hence, this is the correct option.
Option ‘d’ – toughly is an informal adverb meaning ‘rugged’ or ‘strong and resilient’ etc. This is not an appropriate adverb to describe the verb ‘raining’. Therefore this is an incorrect option.
So, the correct answer is “Option c”.

Note:
We usually measure rainfall in amounts, like to a great degree or in large amounts. Therefore, choose your option accordingly.