Question

Correct the following sentence

Of Shailendra and Puja, the later is a more versatile singer.

a)Of Shailendra and Puja, the later is the most versatile singer.
b)Of Shailendra and Puja, the latter is a more versatile singer.
c)Of Shailendra and Puja, the latter is the most versatile singer.
d)Of Shailendra and Puja, the latest is a more versatile singer.

Answer 1

Hint: Later is used in the context of time and Latter refers to the second of the two things mentioned.

Complete step-by-step answer:

 Later is an adverb of time and hence can not be used in the context of two people, this word is used in sentences like: ‘I will go to the market later this evening’ , here there is a very clear mention of time frame. Therefore, the option a is incorrect.
According to the rules of Degrees of Adjective or comparison, when two entities are being compared, the comparative form is used, in this case, the three degrees of comparison would be, Versatile (positive), More Versatile( comparative) and Most Versatile (superlative). So, with this rule, option c is also incorrect.

‘Latest’ means: of the most recent date or something brand new, which completely eliminates the d option.
With the above deductions and considering the rules mentioned, option b is correct as the appropriate degree of an adjective is used along with the term latter.

Note: Carefully consider the number of entities being in talked about in a sentence. Also, remember that units of time can not be used for people.