We reached the station late, and _______ missed the train.

Answer: 'nearly'

Explanation: The sentence needs an adverb to modify the verb 'missed' and express that the action was almost true. 'Nearly' is an adverb meaning 'almost', so it correctly conveys 'almost missed the train.'

• Why 'near' is wrong: 'Near' is a preposition or adjective (for example, 'near the station') and does not function as an adverb to modify 'missed'.

• Why 'utterly' is wrong: 'Utterly' means 'completely' and would imply you totally missed the train, which is the opposite of 'almost missed'.

• Why 'mostly' is wrong: 'Mostly' means 'for the most part' or 'generally' and does not express the idea of 'almost' in this context.

Example sentence: We reached the station late, and nearly missed the train.