Select the most appropriate option that can substitute the underlined segment in the given sentence.
She confided in me on her anxious, whispering her secrets between sips of coffee.
Show answer & explanation
Correct answer: A
Explanation
The correct answer is option 1 i.e. about her anxiety.
Error concept: Incorrect preposition and noun usage with the verb “confide.”
What is wrong: The phrase “confided in me on her anxious” is grammatically incorrect because:
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“on” is the wrong preposition after “confide.”
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“anxious” is an adjective and cannot act as a noun.
Grammatical concept:
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The correct structure is “confide in someone about something.”
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“Anxiety” is the noun form of “anxious.”
Incorrectness of the concept in context: The sentence talks about the woman sharing her feelings of anxiety, so the correct noun (“anxiety”) and preposition (“about”) must be used.
How to correct: Replace “on her anxious” with “about her anxiety.”
Correct phrase / correction: about her anxiety
Final sentence: She confided in me about her anxiety, whispering her secrets between sips of coffee.
Hence, the chosen option is correct.