Question

Fill in the blank with a suitable adjective:
“Hi, Mum!”
“Carol! Thank goodness you rang! Where have you been? We’ve been so ________ about you.”
(a)interested
(b)annoying
(c)worried
(d)frightening

Answer 1

Hint: In the given sentence, the person is trying to convey the fact that Carol has not been home for a long time, and she finally called. This means that they are less concerned.

Complete answer: In the given sentence, there is one blank. That blank is to be filled with an adjective, as the adjective is missing. In order to understand which adjective we need to fill the blank with, we need to understand the meaning of the sentence.
Let us deconstruct the given sentence: In the given sentence, the main topic is the fact of Carol not being home for long. This is evident, because the mother is glad that the person has called. This illustrates the fact that the mother was concerned for her daughter’s well-being. So, we need to find the synonym of ‘concerned’.

Now, we know what we are looking for. Let’s look at the given options:
(a)interested - The word ‘interested’ refers to ‘showing curiosity or concern about something or someone; having a feeling of interest’. This word does not fit into the context of the given sentence and it is not the synonym of ‘concerned’. This is not the required answer. So, this is an incorrect option.

(b)annoying - The word ‘annoying’ refers to ‘causing irritation or annoyance'. This word does not fit into the context of the given sentence and it is not the synonym of ‘concerned’. This is not the required answer. So, this is an incorrect option.

(c)worried - The word ‘worried’ refers to ‘anxious or troubled about actual or potential problems'. This word fits into the context of the given sentence and it is the synonym of ‘concerned’. This is the required answer. So, this is the correct option.

(d)frightening - The word ‘frightening’ refers to ‘making someone afraid or anxious; terrifying'. This word does not fit into the context of the given sentence and it is not the synonym of ‘concerned’. This is not the required answer. So, this is an incorrect option.

Note: Try to understand the meaning of the given sentence. Then, try to find the correct word. Try to use the adverb and choose the most appropriate option accordingly.