Question

Pick out the most effective word from the given words to fill in the blanks to make the sentence meaningfully complete: The Pahalgam carnage was a deliberate attempt to ________ fear among people

• A. instill
• B. drain
• C. eliminate
• D. Eradicate

Hint:

Common collocations with instill: instill fear, instill confidence, instill values, instill discipline.

Answer 1

The Correct Option is A

Concept: This question deals with "collocation," which refers to words that are habitually placed together in the English language. Certain abstract nouns like "fear," "confidence," or "values" have specific verbs that are used to describe the act of placing those feelings into a group of people.

Step 1: Analyzing the context of the sentence.
The sentence mentions a "carnage" (a massacre or great slaughter) and a "deliberate attempt." In the context of terrorism or violence, the goal of the perpetrators is usually to create, spread, or firmly establish a feeling of terror or anxiety within a population. We need a verb that means "to establish an idea or attitude in a person's mind."

Step 2: Defining "INSTILL".
The verb "instill" (also spelled instil) means to gradually but firmly establish an idea or attitude, especially a desirable or undesirable one, in a person's mind. It is the standard verb used when discussing the spread of fear, discipline, or hope. For example, "A teacher seeks to instill a love of learning."

Step 3: Evaluating the alternatives.

• Drain: This means to deplete or empty out. Draining fear would be a positive thing, which doesn't fit the context of a "carnage."
• Eliminate/Eradicate: These mean to completely remove or destroy. Again, a carnage would not be an attempt to remove fear; it would be an attempt to create it. Final Answer: Option A