"He often _____ the numbers. False claims are not going to help. Honesty _____
trust", said the manager.
Choose the option with the correct order of words to fill the blanks.
Options:
(A) exaggerates; engenders
(B) excels; encourages
(C) aggravates; alleviates
(D) diminishes; eliminates
Official Answer Key:
A
Step-by-Step Solution & Explanation
### **Official Solution & Concept Analysis (GATE BT 2026 Q.1)**
**1. Governing Concept**:
- **Topic**: Verbal Ability & Grammatical Collocation / Subject-Verb Agreement
- The sentence context requires:
- First blank: A verb indicating fabrication or distortion of numbers ("fudges" / "falsifies").
- Second blank: A verb denoting that honesty is rewarded, beneficial, or worthwhile ("pays").
- The proverb "Honesty pays" is an idiomatic English expression meaning that being honest brings positive outcomes.
**2. Option Analysis**:
- **Option (A) [fudges, pays] is CORRECT**: "He often fudges the numbers... Honesty pays." Perfectly captures the semantic contrast between making false claims and the moral principle that honesty brings long-term rewards.
- **Option (B) [fudges, pays for] is INCORRECT**: "Pays for" means suffering a penalty, which reverses the intended meaning of honesty being favorable.
- **Option (C) [plays, pays] is INCORRECT**: "Plays the numbers" is not the correct idiom for falsifying financial or experimental records.
- **Option (D) [plays, pays for] is INCORRECT**: Both components are semantically and idiomatically unfitting.
**3. Final Answer**:
- **Correct Choice**: **A**
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