The sentence is: "Study hard, ------------ you will fail in the examination."
To complete it meaningfully, we need a word that expresses a consequence or condition of not studying hard. Step 1: Understand the sentence structure
This is a conditional sentence. It suggests that something negative will happen if the first part of the sentence is not fulfilled.
In other words, it warns: "If you do not study hard, then you will fail in the examination."
Step 2: Analyze each option
- Option A (since): "Since" shows a reason or cause, but it doesn’t fit well in a conditional structure like this.
"Study hard, since you will fail" is grammatically awkward and illogical.
- Option B (because): "Because" also indicates a reason.
"Study hard, because you will fail" makes no sense, as studying hard is supposed to prevent failure.
- Option C (so): "So" indicates a result.
"Study hard, so you will fail" implies studying leads to failure, which contradicts the intended meaning.
- Option D (otherwise): "Otherwise" correctly shows the consequence of not doing the action.
"Study hard, otherwise you will fail in the examination" is both grammatically and logically sound.
Therefore, the correct answer is "otherwise".