Question

I was totally by his line of thinking and could not put forth any argument.

• A. Demolished
• B. Non-plussed
• C. Exhausted
• D. Refuted

Hint:

The second half, "could not put forth any argument", points to confusion, not tiredness or physical harm.

Answer 1

The Correct Option is B

The second half of the sentence tells us the effect: the speaker "could not put forth any argument". We need a word describing a state of confusion or being at a loss for words, not physical harm or exhaustion.

1. Demolished: This literally means destroyed or torn down, used for buildings or structures, or figuratively for being thoroughly defeated in a very forceful way. It is too strong and physical a word for simply being unable to argue back.
2. Non-plussed: This means so surprised or confused that one does not know what to say or do next. This exactly matches "could not put forth any argument".
3. Exhausted: This means very tired. Tiredness is not what stops someone from arguing here; the sentence is about confusion caused by "his line of thinking", not fatigue.
4. Refuted: This means proved wrong. It is the wrong grammatical role here too: one refutes an argument, but a person is not "refuted by" someone's thinking in this sense.

Since the effect described is confusion that leaves someone speechless, "Non-plussed" is the correct fit.

Let's summarize:

• "Non-plussed" means confused to the point of having nothing to say, matching the second half of the sentence exactly.
• "Demolished" is too forceful, "Exhausted" points to tiredness, and "Refuted" does not fit grammatically or in meaning.

The sentence becomes: "I was totally non-plussed by his line of thinking and could not put forth any argument," confirming option (2).