Question

Fill in the blank with the most appropriate option.
I have lost my purse. Can I ____ some money from you?
(a) Borrow
(b) Hire
(c) Demand
(d) Loan

Answer 1

Hint: Read the given sentence and try to understand the information it is trying to convey. Now go through the options, recall what they signify, and choose the one that fits the context of the sentence, and helps it to convey the information in the best possible way.

Complete answer:
 In the given sentence, we know that X has lost her purse. Hence, she is asking her friend for some money.
Let’s look at the usage of the different options-
i. Borrow- It means to take something from someone to be returned later. For example- She has borrowed my pencil.
ii. Hire- It means to employ or appoint someone for money. For example- Our company is hiring employees.
iii. Demand- It means to claim or want something authoritatively. For example- The king demanded a white horse.
iv. Loan- It means to lend something to someone with the intention of giving it back with interest or credit. For example- Our bank gives loans to everyone.
Now, in the context of the question; We know that X wants some money from Y. Hence, she needs to borrow it with the intention of returning it later.
Let’s examine the given options-
Option a- ‘Borrow’ is the correct option because it matches with the context of the sentence.
Option b- ‘Hire’ is an incorrect option because it does not suit the context of the sentence.
Option c- ‘Demand’ is an incorrect option because it does not suit the context of the sentence.
Option d- ‘Loan’ is an incorrect option because it does not suit the context of the sentence.
The correct answer is Option ‘a’.

Note:
 Some other words or synonyms for ‘borrow’ are; take, abstract, embrace, etc while some antonyms for ‘borrow’ are; abandon, forsake, relinquish, etc.