Complete the cloze passage by filling in the blanks with the most appropriate words.
Last winter, Ananya traveled alone to Shimla for a school competition. The town, covered in snow, looked like a painting that had come alive. She checked into the guesthouse ___A___, eager to rehearse her debate speech. But just as she reached for her notes, she realized something alarming, her suitcase ____B_____, and the key was missing.
Had she dropped it at the railway station? Or had she left it in the train itself? The more she thought, the more restless she became. 'Stay calm, Ananya,' she whispered to ____C____, 'panic will solve nothing.'
Determined to find a way, she asked the receptionist for help. He suggested calling a locksmith. While waiting, she kept _____D_____ (pacing) the hall, her mind filled with worry. How embarrassing it would be if she could not present her speech tomorrow!
When the locksmith finally arrived, he ____E_____ (examined) the lock and said confidently, 'Do not worry, miss, this will open soon.' Within minutes, the suitcase clicked open. What a moment of relief it was! Ananya almost cried with gratitude.
That night, while reviewing her speech, she reflected: 'Life often tests us with unexpected problems. If we stay calm, solutions eventually appear.' She promised herself she would remember this lesson in every challenge ahead.
Fill in blank (C) with the correct pronoun.
Show answer & explanation
Correct answer: D
Explanation
Correct Answer
herself
Explanation
The sentence describes Ananya talking directly to herself ('Stay calm, Ananya,' she whispered to...). When the subject performing the action ('she') and the object receiving the action are the exact same person, you must use a reflexive pronoun. Because Ananya is a female singular subject, the correct reflexive pronoun is 'herself.'
The other choices are incorrect because they violate pronoun agreement rules. Option 1 ('him') is a male objective pronoun. Option 2 ('her') is an objective pronoun used when someone else is receiving the action, not when speaking to one's own self. Option 3 ('itself') is a reflexive pronoun used for non-human objects or animals.
Key Points
Whenever a character in a story speaks aloud or whispers thoughts in quotation marks directly to their own mind, it constitutes an internal monologue. In these contexts, the verb 'whispered to' or 'said to' will always be paired with a reflexive pronoun like himself or herself.