Question

The best way to win a friend is to avoid ______________________.

• A. irony in speech
• B. ambiguity in speech
  
• C. verbosity in speech
• D. pomposity in speech
  

Answer 1

Answer: (B)

ambiguity in speech

Option B: As mentioned in the passage, "A slip of the tongue, the use of an unusual word, or of an ambiguous word, and so on, may create an enemy where we had hoped to win a friend.", an 'ambiguous word' may create an enemy instead of winning a friend.

Hence the best way to win a friend is by not using an ambiguous word, or 'to avoid ambiguity in speech'.

Hence option B is correct.

Options A, C and D:

The lines are neither mentioned nor implied by the passage. Hence options A, C and D are wrong.