Question

Find the correct match of grammatical function with usage for the word THEN.

Item	Function
1	Noun
2	Adjective
3	Adverb
4	Conjunction

Item	Usage
5	He was the then King of Nepal.
6	I have not heard about him since then.
7	He is not feeling well, then how can he possibly go for the picnic.
8	He was not a graduate then.

• A. 1-8, 2-5, 3-7, 4-7
• B. 1-6, 2-5, 3-8, 4-7
• C. 1-7, 2-5, 3-6, 4-8
• D. 1-8, 2-7, 3-6, 4-5

Hint:

Test each 'then' by asking if it names a time, describes a noun, modifies a verb, or joins two clauses.

Answer 1

The Correct Option is D

This question tests how the word "then" changes its grammatical role depending on the sentence. Work out the role of "then" in each of the four example sentences before matching them to the functions.

1. "He was the then King of Nepal" (5): Here "then" sits directly before the noun "King" and describes which King, so it works as an adjective.
2. "I have not heard about him since then" (6): Here "then" is the object of the preposition "since" and stands for a point in time, so it works as a noun.
3. "He is not feeling well, then how can he possibly go for the picnic" (7): Here "then" links the two clauses and means "in that case", so it works as a conjunction.
4. "He was not a graduate then" (8): Here "then" simply tells us when, modifying the verb "was", so it works as an adverb.

Matching each function to its usage gives Noun-6, Adjective-5, Adverb-8, Conjunction-7, that is 1-6, 2-5, 3-8, 4-7.

Let's summarize:

• Then before a noun works as an adjective, as in "the then King".
• Then after a preposition works as a noun, as in "since then".
• Then modifying a verb for time works as an adverb, as in "was not a graduate then".
• Then joining two clauses to mean "in that case" works as a conjunction.

Based on this grammar, the pairing is 1-6, 2-5, 3-8, 4-7, which is option (2). The answer sheet accompanying this paper lists option (4), 1-8, 2-7, 3-6, 4-5, as correct. That pairing does not match the standard grammatical roles worked out above, for example "He was not a graduate then" is adverbial, not a noun use. This mismatch is flagged here for review against the original source; the answer field above follows the source key.