Question:

In each of the following sentences, a part of the sentence is underlined. Beneath each sentence, four different ways of phrasing the underlined part are indicated. Choose the best alternative from among the four. (The underlined part is shown in bold.)

Bacon believes that the medical profession should be permitted to ease and quicken death where the end would otherwise only delay for a few days and at the cost of great pain.

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The "end" (death) cannot "delay" anything here. It is the one that gets delayed, so the verb needs a passive form. Also keep the meaning of "otherwise only".
Updated On: Nov 4, 2026
  • be otherwise only delayed for a few days and
  • be delayed for a few days and
  • be delayed for a few days
  • otherwise only delay for a few days and
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The Correct Option is A

Solution and Explanation

Step 1: Find the fault in the original:
"The end would otherwise only delay for a few days" has the end (death) as the doer of "delay", with nothing being delayed. The meaning is that death would be delayed, so the passive "be delayed" is needed. Option (4) is the original and keeps the fault.

Step 2: Compare the passive options:
Options (3) and (2) drop "otherwise only", which carries the meaning that without the easing, death would be put off only by a few days. Option (3) also drops "and". Option (1) "be otherwise only delayed for a few days and" is passive and keeps "otherwise only" and the "and" that joins "for a few days" with "at the cost of great pain".

Step 3: Decide:
Option (1) corrects the error and keeps the full meaning of the sentence.

Final Answer:
The correct option is (1): be otherwise only delayed for a few days and.
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