Teacher could not help.............. at the criticism
Alaughs
Bto laugh
Claughing
Dlaugh
Answer:
C. laughing
Read Explanation:
Understanding 'Cannot/Could Not Help + -ing Form'
- The phrase 'cannot help' or 'could not help' is an idiom in English grammar.
- It means 'cannot avoid', 'cannot resist', or 'cannot prevent oneself from doing something'.
- This structure must always be followed by a gerund (the -ing form of a verb).
- It expresses an uncontrollable action or emotion.
- In the given context, 'Teacher could not help laughing criticism' implies that the teacher could not prevent or resist laughing at the criticism.
Examples for Clarity:
- 'I couldn't help thinking about it.' (meaning: I couldn't stop myself from thinking about it).
- 'She can't help feeling sad.' (meaning: She cannot avoid feeling sad).
- 'They couldn't help admiring her courage.' (meaning: They couldn't resist admiring her courage).
Key Points for Competitive Exams:
- This grammatical construction is a common test item in competitive examinations, particularly in sections on sentence completion, error identification, and fill-in-the-blanks.
- Always remember that 'help' in this specific idiom does not take 'to + infinitive' or a bare infinitive. For example, 'cannot help to laugh' or 'cannot help laugh' would be incorrect.
- Focus on identifying the core meaning of 'cannot avoid' to correctly apply the gerund form.