Question

Choose the option that best fills in the blank:

Arshad was busy listening to music _________ his father was scolding him.
a) when
b) while
c) but
d) for

Answer 1

Hint: A conjunction is an uninflected function word that serves to conjoin words or phrases or clauses or sentences. For example- but, and, so, if.

Complete answer:
In the given question, we have to choose the conjunction that best suits this sentence. Time-related conjunction is to be used here since both the clauses are in terms of a particular time.
Let us thus analyze the options given to us in this question:
Option (a.), 'when', refers to the conjunction ‘when’, which indicates an interruption or a very short lapse of time between the two events.
Therefore, option (a.) is incorrect as an interruption between the two proceedings is not the case here.

Option (b.), ‘while', refers to the conjunction ‘while’, which is used when two events take place simultaneously.
Therefore, option (b.) is correct as both the proceedings are shown to be happening simultaneously.
Option (c.), ‘but', refers to a conjunction that expresses the contrast between two independent clauses.
Therefore, option (c.) is incorrect as contrast is not the case here.

Option (d.), ‘for', refers to coordinating conjunction which is used when one clause is deduced from another.
Therefore, option (d.) is incorrect as no inferring or deduction is happening in the given sentence.

Note:
In this question, it will be helpful for the students to recall what an independent and dependent clause is. An Independent clause is a clause in a complex sentence that can stand alone as a complete sentence. On the other hand, the dependent clause is a clause in a complex sentence that cannot stand alone as a complete sentence and that functions within the sentence as a noun or adjective or adverb.