Complete the 12 sentences below. Choose the best answer for each one.
1Given the scorch marks around the socket, the fault ............... originated in the old wiring.
Wrong!
"must have" is correct because the physical evidence strongly supports a near-certain deduction about a past event.
2Short of admitting it outright, the minister's evasions ............... point to prior knowledge.
Wrong!
"almost certainly" is correct because it gives a very strong but not absolute conclusion, matching the phrase "short of admitting it outright".
3Now that the auditors have found identical discrepancies in three branches, it is ............... that the error is systemic.
Wrong!
"highly likely" is correct because it fits "It is ... that" and expresses strong but hedged certainty.
4With the lab lights still on and the samples logged at midnight, the team was ............... working late.
Wrong!
"presumably" is correct because the sentence bases a reasonable inference on the listed facts without claiming absolute proof.
5After the rival consortium withdrew its bid, the contract was as ............... secured.
Wrong!
"good as" is correct because "as good as" means virtually or practically, a hedge just short of full certainty.
6Once the suppressed emails become public, the chair ............... face calls to resign.
Wrong!
"will almost certainly" is correct because it makes a highly confident but hedged prediction about a future result.
7The missing appendix was, in all ..............., removed before the report was circulated.
Wrong!
"probability" is correct because "in all probability" is the standard hedge meaning very likely but not certain.
8The archive is ............... incomplete, since several timestamps jump from March directly to June.
Wrong!
"apparently" is correct because it reports an inference from visible evidence while leaving room for revision.
9Even if the methodology is imperfect, the compromise ............... be the only workable basis for agreement.
Wrong!
"would seem to" is correct because it presents a cautious conclusion drawn from a concession and a remaining practical fact.
10Without the final figures, we can be ............... certain that the trend has reversed.
Wrong!
"reasonably" is correct because it indicates justified confidence while admitting the remaining unknowns named in the sentence.
11She ............... guessed the access code, not with that level of precision.
Wrong!
"can't have" is correct because it expresses a confident negative deduction from evidence that makes the claim impossible.
12Provided the talks do not collapse, the ceasefire will ............... hold through the winter.
Wrong!
"probably" is correct because it gives a strong but still defeasible forecast based on conditions, unlike the more emotional certainty of "surely" or weak "maybe".
Exercise complete
0 out of 12
correct answers
Answers
- Given the scorch marks around the socket, the fault must have originated in the old wiring.
- Short of admitting it outright, the minister’s evasions almost certainly point to prior knowledge.
- Now that the auditors have found identical discrepancies in three branches, it is highly likely that the error is systemic.
- With the lab lights still on and the samples logged at midnight, the team was presumably working late.
- After the rival consortium withdrew its bid, the contract was as good as secured.
- Once the suppressed emails become public, the chair will almost certainly face calls to resign.
- The missing appendix was, in all probability, removed before the report was circulated.
- The archive is apparently incomplete, since several timestamps jump from March directly to June.
- Even if the methodology is imperfect, the compromise would seem to be the only workable basis for agreement.
- Without the final figures, we can be reasonably certain that the trend has reversed.
- She can’t have guessed the access code, not with that level of precision.
- Provided the talks do not collapse, the ceasefire will probably hold through the winter.