Select the most appropriate option to fill in the blank. Determine the collocation through the sentence.
When she received the news about the death of her uncle, she ________ into tears.
Show answer & explanation
Correct answer: A
Explanation
The correct answer is option 1 i.e. burst.
Context: The sentence describes someone suddenly beginning to cry after hearing sad news. The correct collocation in English is “burst into tears,” which means to start crying suddenly.
Meaning of the words:
Burst: means to suddenly begin doing something with strong emotion (collocation: burst into tears).
Shed: means to let something fall, like “shed tears,” but it’s not used with “into tears.”
Bowed: means to bend the upper part of the body forward.
Started: means began, but the collocation “started into tears” is incorrect.
Correct word: Burst
Reason: “Burst into tears” is the correct and natural phrase in English to describe sudden crying. Other options are either grammatically wrong in this collocation or do not fit the emotional intensity.
Final Sentence: When she received the news about the death of her uncle, she burst into tears.
Hence, the chosen option is correct.