Question

Fill in the blank with a suitable option.
Did Anne wash the dishes? Yes, she _____.
A) Did
B) Did wash
C) Is washing
D) Washed

Answer 1

Hint: This question deals with the redundant usage of words. When a person is in a conversation or giving a speech regarding something, he/she might focus on a certain aspect and tend to use that word excessively. This is a very unnecessary or redundant use of the words. Hence, to avoid redundancy we use words like it, he/she, did, so, same etc.

Complete answer:
In the given statement, there is a question that asks about the verb ‘wash’. The reply to this question will obviously contain the verb ‘wash’. But using the same word again and again in a conversation becomes redundant. Therefore, we replace them with pronouns or helping verbs.

Now let us look at the given options:
Option A) Did – The question is in the past tense since the question begins with ‘did’. Its reply would also be in the past tense. Hence ‘did’ is suitable. It also replaces the verb ‘wash’ appropriately. Therefore, this option is correct.
Option B) Did wash – In this option, we are using the helping verb ‘did’ which should be enough, but it also uses the main verb ‘wash’ again. This seems redundant and should not be used in such a conversation. Therefore, this option is incorrect.
Option C) Is washing – The sentence in the question begins with the word ‘did’, hence it is in the past tense. The option has the words ‘is washing’ where ‘is’ indicates the present tense and the verb ‘washing’ indicates the continuous tense. Therefore, this option is in the present continuous tense. Hence, this option is incorrect.
Option D) Washed – This option only uses the main verb ‘washed’. This is a very redundant choice, as the previous statement in the question had already mentioned the verb ‘wash’. It should not be repeated unnecessarily. Hence, this option is also wrong.

Thus, the correct answer is Option (A) Did Anne wash the dishes? Yes, she did.

Note: Sometimes, this redundant use of words is used by poets to provide rhyme scheme or rhythm to the poetry. It is also used by writers, or speakers at times to emphasize that particular aspect of the speech or writing. In such cases, where it is acceptable, it is known as a pleonasm. For e.g. I saw it with my own eyes! (here, my own eyes, is redundant but it adds a dramatic effect to the dialogue).