Question

Fill in the blank with the most appropriate option.
It is common for patients to stop ________ medicines as soon as they start feeling better.
a) eating
b) gulping
c) swallowing
d) taking

Answer 1

Hint: For this question, we have to see how we have our medicines. We have to attach an action to the substance we are having. For example, we drink water, we chew food, we inhale different types of smell, etc.

Complete answer:
Option a is wrong because though we do have to eat certain medicines which are in solid form such as tablets, the action of “eating” is not associated with medicines.
Option b is wrong because we do not gulp medicines. To gulp means to swallow large quantities of some liquid. Medicine is not taken in large quantities.
Option c is also not the correct answer because though we do swallow medicines which are in the liquid form like syrups, we don’t use “swallow” with medicines.
Option d is the correct answer because we “take” medicines. The word “take” applies to every form of medicine universally. It can be used for tablets, syrups, and even medicines that have to be injected into our bodies. Medicines that are like creams cannot be eaten, gulped, or swallowed. They are applied to our bodies. Even in such forms of medicine, the word “take” is applied since it can be used irrespective of the form of the medicine.

Note:
Though students may be confused among the options, you have to associate the activity with the product. Ask yourself how you use such a product. Such questions are easy to answer if your vocabulary is rich. A rich vocabulary comes from reading a lot of books, articles, journals, etc.