Question

Fill in the blank with the most appropriate word.
I wonder why they aren’t answering the door. There must be someone _____.
A. in
B. on
C. at
D. off

Answer 1

Hint: Adverb refers to a word that is used to modify verbs, adjectives, and other adverbs. Most Adverbs are formed by adding ‘ly’ to adjectives.

Complete answer:
As given in the hint, adverbs are used to indicate or modify the action performed by the subject.
Let’s look at different adverbs of place-
In- We use ‘in’ to indicate the location of an object, inside or in the middle of an enclosed area. For example- He got stuck in a giant metal box.
On- We use ‘on’ to indicate the surface over which an object is kept or placed. For example- When the train stopped, he hopped on.
At- We use ‘at’ to indicate a specific place or location. For example- He was laughed at.
Off- We use ‘off’ to indicate someone or something that is far away or at a distance. For example-The dog ran off.
In the given question- We can conclude that X wondered why they weren’t answering the door. There must be someone in. Here, we have used ‘in’ to indicate the place inside or in the enclosed area.
Now, let’s examine the given options-
Option A. ‘in’ is the correct option because it helps in indicating the location of the people inside the house.
Option B. ‘on’ is an incorrect option because we are not talking about the surface over which something is kept.
Option C. ‘at’ is an incorrect option because we are not talking about a specific place.
Option D. ‘off’ is an incorrect option because we are not talking about a distant object. The correct answer is Option ‘a’.

Note:
We use adverbs of place to identify the location where the action of the verb is being implemented. Also, do not get confused between adverbs and prepositions. Prepositions always need an object, whereas adverbs do not need an object.