Question

Fill in the blank with the most appropriate option:
She gave me a very nice book ____________.
A) Reading
B) Read
C) To read
D) Will read

Answer 1

Hint: I, you, he, she, it, we, they, me, this, that, who, which, everyone are examples of pronouns that serve as nouns. Verbs like be, become, bunt, inflate, and run convey acts, events, or states of being. Adjectives, such as gentle, supportive, and small, characterize or modify nouns or pronouns.

Complete answer:
With the subject (she) + verb (gave) + indirect object (me) + direct object (very nice book), the given sentence is complete in context. The blank after that is almost certainly an object complement. Subject complements are nouns, pronouns, and adjectives that provide additional information about the direct object.

Now let us analyze the given options:
Option A. Reading: The word 'reading' is a gerund. Gerunds are verb + ing noun forms that often act as nouns. However, it is unable to complement the object 'book' in this instance. Gerunds express actions that are actual or have already occurred. The action has not yet taken place in the specified sentence. Therefore, this option is incorrect.
Option B. Read: The word 'read' is a noun, and nouns do not accompany verbs. Hence, the use of this option in the blank is grammatically incorrect. Therefore, this option is incorrect.
Option C. To read: 'To read' is a verb that can be used infinitive (also a noun phrase). Among other items, infinitives serve as object complements. It goes well with the direct object 'book.' Hence, this option is correct.
Option D. Will read: 'Will read' is a verb phrase that does not refer or complement to the object. Therefore, this option is incorrect.

Therefore, Option C ‘to read’ is the correct answer.

Note: The given sentence ‘She gave me a very nice book ____________’, however, is complete in meaning. The subject (she) + verb (gave) + indirect object (me) + direct object (very nice book) provides the complete meaning of the sentence. The blank that follows an object complement. Object complements are basically an expression such as nouns, pronouns, adjectives, that tell us more about the direct object. So, Option C is the most appropriate answer as compared to any other option.