Question

Fill in the blank with the most appropriate option:

About twenty clerks were made ___________ when the bank introduced computers.

• A. Dispensable
• B. Obsolete
• C. Redundant
• D. Expendable

Answer 1

The correct option is C Redundant

Option C: 'Redundant' means 'no longer needed or useful'.

The meaning is relevant to the given sentence: the clerks were no longer useful once the bank introduced computers, because now most of the work was done on the computers.

Hence option C is correct.

Option A: 'Dispensable' also means 'excessive or unnecessary', 'can be discarded'. We usually use this term for something or someone who is always not useful, whereas here the computers decreased the usefulness of the clerks (no longer useful). So, this word is not suitable.

Option B: 'Obsolete' means 'no longer in general use', 'outdated'. This term is used for objects that are getting ancient now, and not people.

Option D: 'Expendable' means 'consumed in use' or 'not reusable'. Things like energy and time can be expended, or used up. But people cannot be used up. Hence this word is not for 'clerks'.

Hence options A, B and D are incorrect.