Select the most appropriate option to substitute the underlined segment in the…
2025
Select the most appropriate option to substitute the underlined segment in the given sentence. If there is no need to substitute it, select No Improvement.
These flowers smell sweetly and are sold at high prices in the market.
- A.
These flowers will smell sweetly
- B.
These flowers smelt sweetly
- C.
No improvement
- D.
These flowers smell sweet
Attempted by 19 students.
Show answer & explanation
Correct answer: D
Answer: These flowers smell sweet.
Explanation: The verb 'smell' is acting as a linking verb here, connecting the subject to a description. After a linking verb we use an adjective to describe the subject.
'Sweet' is an adjective that correctly describes the flowers.
'Sweetly' is an adverb, which would modify a verb (how something is done), so it is inappropriate after the linking verb 'smell'.
Phrases like "These flowers will smell sweetly" mix an unnecessary tense change with an incorrect adverbial form.
"These flowers smelt sweetly" uses past tense and an adverb; the intended general statement should use the present tense and the adjective.
Therefore, replace 'sweetly' with the adjective 'sweet' to form the correct sentence: These flowers smell sweet.