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 act against dissent while appearing to serve economic necessity. The verb in the blank must therefore mean to suppress or put down. 'Quell' carries exactly that sense and collocates naturally with dissent, protest and rebellion, so it is correct. 'Swell' would mean to increase dissent, which reverses the intended meaning. 'Rebut' means to argue against a claim with evidence, an open intellectual act rather than a veiled suppression. 'Impugn' means to call someone's honesty or motives into question. 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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