Directions : Each of the following sentences in this section has a blank space and four words or group of words are given after the sentence. Select the most appropriate word or group of words for the blank space and indicate your response on the Answer Sheet accordingly. The population of Mumbai and Delhi is greater than ______________ city in India.
any other
Understanding Comparative Sentences
The sentence "The population of Mumbai and Delhi is greater than ______________ city in India" requires a phrase that correctly compares the combined population of two specific cities (Mumbai and Delhi) to other individual cities within the same group (cities in India). The phrase needs to exclude the cities being compared from the comparison group.
Analyzing the Comparison Structure
We are comparing:
- The subject: The population of Mumbai and Delhi (This refers to the combined population, treated as a single entity for comparison).
- The comparison group: city in India (This refers to other individual cities).
- The comparative term: greater than.
The blank needs a phrase that logically completes the comparison, ensuring we are comparing the combined population to any single city *other than* Mumbai or Delhi.
Evaluating the Options for Sentence Completion
Let's look at each option:
Option 1: all other
- "greater than all other city in India."
- This phrasing is grammatically incorrect. "all other" is typically followed by a plural noun (e.g., "all other cities"). Even if it were "all other cities", comparing a single entity (the combined population) as "greater than all other cities" implies it is greater than the sum of the populations of all other cities, which is a different comparison than implied by the singular "city" in the original sentence. It doesn't fit the singular "city".
Option 2: any other
- "greater than any other city in India."
- This phrase correctly compares the subject (population of Mumbai and Delhi) to any single member of the group ("city in India"), while explicitly excluding the cities being compared (Mumbai and Delhi). It implies "greater than the population of any other single city in India (apart from Mumbai and Delhi)". This structure is standard for comparing a specific entity (or a group treated as one entity) to individual members of the set it belongs to.
Option 3: any
- "greater than any city in India."
- This phrase is problematic because Mumbai and Delhi *are* cities in India. Saying "greater than any city" would include comparing the population to Mumbai and Delhi themselves, which doesn't make sense in this comparative context. The comparison must exclude the items being compared.
Option 4: other
- "greater than other city in India."
- The word "other" as a determiner before a singular countable noun like "city" requires another determiner (like "any", "each", "every"). "other city" on its own is ungrammatical in this context. It would need to be "other cities" (plural) or have a preceding determiner.
Explaining the Correct Choice: 'any other'
Based on the analysis, the phrase "any other" is the most appropriate because it correctly structures the comparison:
- It compares the population of Mumbai and Delhi to individual cities.
- It uses "other" to correctly exclude Mumbai and Delhi from the comparison group.
- "any other" followed by a singular noun ("city") is the standard construction for comparing something to any single item in a remaining set.
Therefore, "The population of Mumbai and Delhi is greater than any other city in India" is the grammatically correct and logical completion of the sentence.
Revision Table: Comparative Phrases
| Phrase | Usage Example | Explanation |
|---|---|---|
| any other + singular noun | He is taller than any other student in the class. | Compares one item to individual remaining items in a group. |
| all other + plural noun | He is taller than all other students in the class. | Compares one item to the combined characteristics of the remaining items (or implies being greater than each one individually when the characteristic is quantifiable). Can also compare a plural subject to a plural group (e.g., "These cities are larger than all other cities"). |
| any + singular noun | He can beat any player. | Compares one item to any item in the total group, including itself if applicable to the verb (doesn't exclude). |
| other + plural noun | He met other students. | Refers to additional or different items in a group, typically introduced by a determiner or used after a quantity. |
Additional Information on Comparisons
When making comparisons involving a specific item or items against the general group they belong to, it is crucial to exclude the specific item(s) from the group being compared against. Phrases like "any other" or "all other" serve this purpose. The choice between "any other" (with a singular noun) and "all other" (with a plural noun) depends on whether you are comparing against individual members of the group or the group considered collectively.
In this specific sentence, "city in India" is singular, indicating a comparison to individual cities. "any other city" is the correct form to compare the population of Mumbai and Delhi to each individual city apart from themselves.
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