Question

The writer’s latest novel was _________ for its imaginative storyline, but it was also _________ for its lack of character development.

• A. criticized
• B. lauded
• C. chastised
• D. admired
• E. condemned
• F. praised

Hint:

When you see contrast words like \textbf{“but”}, \textbf{“however”}, or \textbf{“although”}, expect the tone of the second clause to differ from the first. Match answer choices to the sentiment of each part.

Answer 1

The Correct Option is A, B

Step 1: Analyze the sentence structure. The sentence has two contrasting clauses, joined by the word “but”:

The first clause talks about an imaginative storyline — a positive trait.
The second clause refers to a lack of character development — a negative trait.

Step 2: Interpret the logic. We are looking for:

A positive word for the first blank (praise for imagination).
A negative word for the second blank (criticism for poor character development).

Step 3: Evaluate the answer choices.
(A) criticized & \textit{Negative} – fits the second blank well.
(B) lauded & \textit{Positive} – fits the first blank well.
(C) chastised & \textit{Strong negative} – could fit second blank, but too harsh.
(D) admired & \textit{Positive} – could work in first blank.
(E) condemned & \textit{Very negative} – too extreme.
(F) praised & \textit{Positive} – could work in first blank. \end{tabular}
Step 4: Match best-fitting pair. Among the combinations:

(B) lauded for imaginative storyline fits well.
(A) criticized for lack of character development fits perfectly.