Question

Choose the correct word/phrase to complete the sentence.
______ the two countries are talking peace. But everyone knows that they are just putting up a show.

• A. To tell one to face
• B. On the face of it
• C. To lose face
• D. In the face of

Answer 1

Answer: (B)

On the face of it

In the given sentence, the following is conveyed: 'As far as one can see, it appears that the two countries are talking peace. However, both the countries are appearing to talk peace only for the sake of putting up a show'.

The idiom, 'on the face of it' means 'without knowing all of the relevant facts'. It also means 'apparently' or 'as far as one can see'. Given this meaning, this idiom meaningfully completes the sentence. Hence, option B is correct.

Option A: 'To tell one to face' is incomplete and not meaningful in itself. Hence, option A is incorrect.

Options C & D: 'To lose face' means 'to be humiliated or come to be less highly respected'. 'In the face of' means 'when confronted with'. Given these meanings, these idioms cannot meaningfully complete the given sentence. Hence, options C and D are incorrect.