Question

The author has ____________ his composition to the best of his ____________; yet listen to it with a sympathetic ____________, O ____________ souls, and judge it. The option that best fills the blanks in the above sentence would be:

• A. honed, insights, mind, distinguished
• B. polished, intellect, mind, noble
• C. polished, mind, intellect, noble
• D. refined, ingenuity, heart, righteous
• E. refined, thoughts, heart, righteous

Hint:

When filling blanks, always check for contextual appropriateness: technical skill vs. emotional quality vs. moral trait. Each blank must match the semantic role in the sentence.

Answer 1

The Correct Option is D

Step 1: Analyze the first blank.
The sentence begins with: \[ \text{The author has __________ his composition...} \] The word should mean “improved, perfected, or polished.” Both

refined and

polished are appropriate, but “refined” better conveys the nuance of careful improvement and sophistication, fitting a literary context.

Step 2: Analyze the second blank.
The phrase is: \[ \text{...to the best of his __________;} \] Here, the blank requires a word signifying a personal talent or intellectual ability. Among the options,

ingenuity (cleverness, originality, inventiveness) is the best fit, as it highlights the author’s creative ability.

Step 3: Analyze the third blank.
The clause is: \[ \text{...yet listen to it with a sympathetic __________...} \] Here, the quality required is one that emphasizes compassion or feeling. A “sympathetic

heart” makes sense, since judgment tempered with empathy and compassion is being requested.

Step 4: Analyze the fourth blank.
The phrase is: \[ \text{...O __________ souls, and judge it.} \] The word must denote virtuous or morally upright individuals.

Righteous souls matches perfectly, implying fair and just judges.

Step 5: Verify coherence.
Final sentence: \[ \text{The author has refined his composition to the best of his ingenuity; yet listen to it with a sympathetic heart, O righteous souls, and judge it.} \] This sentence is logically and grammatically consistent. \[ \boxed{\text{refined, ingenuity, heart, righteous}} \]