The following question contains a sentence with a blank. Choose the most…
2025
The following question contains a sentence with a blank. Choose the most appropriate word or phrase from the given options that can most suitably replace the blank in the sentence.
The exam rules must be ___________ followed to ensure fairness for all students.
- A.
scarcely
- B.
preciously
- C.
strictly
- D.
hardly
- E.
mostly
Show answer & explanation
Correct answer: C
Concept
An adverb of manner modifies a verb by describing HOW an action is performed. In sentence-completion, the right adverb is the one whose meaning fits the logic of the clause and forms a natural collocation with the verb it modifies.
Application
The clause says the exam rules must be ______ followed so that fairness is ensured for every student. Ensuring fairness requires the rules to be obeyed completely and without exception. The adverb that carries exactly this sense and that collocates with 'followed' is "strictly" — "strictly followed" means observed rigorously and to the letter, which directly produces the intended fairness.
Contrast
"scarcely" and "hardly": both mean 'almost not at all', so they reverse the intended meaning — rules that are barely followed cannot ensure fairness.
"preciously": means 'in an affected or over-refined way' (and informally 'very'); it does not describe rigorous compliance and does not collocate with 'followed' here.
"mostly": means 'for the most part', which allows exceptions — that contradicts the goal of fairness for ALL students, which needs complete compliance.
Hence the blank requires an adverb meaning 'rigorously and without exception', which is "strictly".