Directions : In each of the given question two blanks are given and with…
2022
Directions : In each of the given question two blanks are given and with respect to that two columns each containing three words are provided. Choose the correct set of words from the given options that can correctly fit into those blanks.
Since Trump lost to Biden in November, he, and his allies have spent more than two months ____ widespread voter fraud despite repeated failures to ____ their claim.
COLUMN I (i) corroborating (ii) retaining (iii) alleging COLUMN II (iv) substantiate (v) culminate (vi) abate
- A.
(i) and (v)
- B.
(ii) and (vi)
- C.
(i) and (iii)
- D.
(iii) and (vi)
- E.
(iii) and (iv)
Attempted by 1 students.
Show answer & explanation
Correct answer: E
Concept
Double-fill sentence-completion is solved by collocation and logical consistency: each blank must take a word that both grammatically partners the surrounding words and keeps the whole sentence internally consistent. A pair fails the moment one word forces a meaning that the rest of the sentence contradicts.
Application
Read the two clauses together: someone has spent months [blank 1] widespread voter fraud, yet has repeatedly failed to [blank 2] that claim. The frame “spent months ___ fraud despite failing to ___ the claim” sets up an accusation that stays unproven.
Blank 1 — the act of putting forward an unproven accusation. The word alleging fits: to allege is to assert something as true without yet proving it, which matches the “despite repeated failures” that follows.
Blank 2 — the verb governed by “failures to ___ their claim.” The word substantiate fits: to substantiate is to back a claim with evidence, so “failures to substantiate their claim” means the claim was never proven.
So the consistent pair is alleging + substantiate, i.e. the set (iii) and (iv).
Cross-check / Contrast
Cross-check the other words:
corroborate / culminate — “corroborating fraud” means confirming it with evidence, which directly contradicts the later “failures to substantiate”; “culminate their claim” is not a valid collocation (culminate means to reach a climax).
retaining / abate — “retaining fraud” is meaningless here, and “abate their claim” (abate = to lessen) does not pair with “failures to.”
two words from the same column — any set that draws both words from Column I (e.g. corroborating + alleging) cannot work, since one word is needed for each separate blank.
alleging / abate — the first word is right, but “failures to abate their claim” gives the wrong meaning (reducing the claim, not proving it).