English Grammar - Sentence Completion

English Grammar
English Grammar - Sentence Completion

Select the correct option: The reforms, while ostensibly motivated by economic exigencies, were in effect a veiled attempt to ___ dissent under the guise of austerity.


Options:

  1. quell
  2. swell
  3. rebut
  4. impugn

Right Answer: quell

The sentence describes reforms that were secretly designed to suppress opposition while pretending to be economic measures. The blank therefore needs a verb that means to put down or silence dissent. 'Quell' means to suppress or subdue, and it collocates naturally with words like dissent, rebellion and unrest. 'Swell' means to increase in size, which contradicts the idea of a veiled attempt to control opposition. 'Rebut' means to disprove an argument with evidence, and 'impugn' means to question someone's honesty or motives, and neither conveys forceful suppression. Hence the correct answer is 'quell'.

This question is part of English Grammar - Sentence Completion, which has 14 practice questions with answers.

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