Question

In the following passage, some words have been deleted. Read the passage carefully and select the most appropriate option to fill in each blank. Select the most appropriate option to fill in blank no. 2.

In the following passage, some words have been deleted. Read the passage carefully and select the most appropriate option to fill in each blank. The standard of living of any country means the average (1)________ share of the goods and services which the country produces. A country’s standard of living, therefore, (2)________ first and foremost on its capacity to produce wealth. ‘Wealth’, in this sense, is not money, for we do not live (3)________ money but on things that money (4)________ buy; ‘goods’ such as food and clothing and ‘services’ such as transport and entertainment. A country’s capacity to produce wealth depends upon many factors, most of which have an effect on one another. Wealth depends to a great extent (5)________ a country’s natural resources, such as coal, gold and other minerals, water supply and so on.

• A. depended
• B. depends
• C. depending
• D. dependent

Answer 1

Answer:

B. depends

The sentence describes a universal economic principle: that a nation's standard of living is fundamentally linked to its ability to generate wealth. In English grammar, general truths, scientific facts, and logical conclusions are expressed using the Simple Present Tense. Furthermore, the subject of the sentence, "A country’s standard of living," is a singular noun phrase. According to the rules of subject-verb agreement, a singular subject requires a singular verb form (usually ending in -s or -es). Therefore, "depends" is the only choice that fits both the factual nature of the statement and the grammatical requirements of the subject. Option A ("depended") is in the past tense, which would incorrectly imply this is no longer true; Option C ("depending") is a participle that requires an auxiliary verb; and Option D ("dependent") is an adjective that would require a "to be" verb (is) to function correctly in this structure.