Select the most appropriate homonym to fill in the blank. Rahul didn't want to…

Words such as “lose”, “loose”, “loss”, and “louse” are commonly confused because they look and sound similar, but each belongs to a different part of speech and carries a distinct meaning. Choosing the right one means checking both the grammatical slot the blank needs and the intended meaning of the sentence.

The blank in “Rahul didn't want to ______ marks” sits right after the infinitive marker “to”, so it needs a base-form verb, and the sentence means Rahul did not want to be deprived of, or no longer have, his marks. “lose” is exactly that verb — “to lose marks” — so it completes the sentence correctly: “Rahul didn't want to lose marks.”

• “loss” is a noun (the act or state of losing something, as in “a loss of marks”), so it cannot occupy a verb slot right after “to”.

• “loose” is an adjective meaning not tight or fixed (as in “a loose knot”), which does not match the intended meaning of the sentence at all.

• “louse” is a noun for a small parasitic insect (plural “lice”); it is unrelated in meaning to marks or grades.

Hence, the correct answer is “lose”.