Question

A part of the sentence is underlined. Below are alternatives to the underlined part (a, b, and c) which may improve the sentence. Choose the correct alternative. In case no improvement is needed, select option d.

He declined all the allegations against him.

• A. Agreed
• B. Reused
• C. Refuted
• D. No improvement

Answer 1

The correct option is D No improvement

The underlined word 'declined' means 'to refuse or deny something', here it means 'he refused/did not agree to the allegations against him.' Hence the word correctly brings out the meaning of the sentence, and it should not be changed. So, option D is correct.
'Agreed' means 'to have the same opinion as another', it means the opposite of the given word, it changes the meaning of this sentence, hence A is incorrect.
'Reused' refers to the process of using something again, either in the same form or a different one. (Reusing a cloth bag, for example.) It does not comply in meaning with the sentence, hence option B is incorrect.
'Refuted' means 'prove that something is incorrect', it does not mean the same as 'declined'. The latter means 'to refuse the truth of something', whereas the former refers to an action carried out to prove that something is not true. ('declined' is a simple refusal, 'refuted' is where someone argues or debates over something, in order to prove the truth.) Hence C is incorrect.