Directions: In the following passage some words have been deleted. Fill in the blanks with the help of the alternatives given. Select the most appropriate option for each blank. A city, predominantly made of red sandstone, Fatehpur Sikri (1)______ founded in the 16 th century by the Mughal Emperor, Akbar. It is essentially a fortified city (2)______ had been the capital of Akbar (3)______ fifteen years. Now a UNESCO world heritage site (4)______ a famous tourist attraction, it is a fine (5)______ of Mughal architecture.
Select the most appropriate option to fill in blank number 1.
was
Solving the Fatehpur Sikri Passage: Blank 1
The question asks us to fill in the first blank in the passage about Fatehpur Sikri with the most appropriate option. Let's look at the first sentence again:
"A city, predominantly made of red sandstone, Fatehpur Sikri (1)______ founded in the 16 th century by the Mughal Emperor, Akbar."
We need to choose a verb for blank (1) that fits the subject and the tense indicated by the sentence.
Analyzing the Sentence Structure and Tense
The subject of the sentence is "Fatehpur Sikri". This is a singular noun, referring to one city.
The sentence describes an action that happened in the past: the city "was founded" in the 16th century. The phrase "founded in the 16th century" tells us we need a past tense verb.
The structure "______ founded" suggests a passive voice construction. Passive voice is formed using a form of the verb 'to be' followed by the past participle of the main verb (in this case, 'founded').
Evaluating the Options for Blank 1
Let's examine the given options:
- was: This is the singular past tense form of the verb 'to be'. It fits a singular subject ("Fatehpur Sikri") and a past tense context ("founded in the 16th century"). This form is used in passive voice for a singular subject in the simple past tense.
- had: This is a form of the verb 'to have'. While 'had founded' could be past perfect active voice (Akbar had founded Fatehpur Sikri), the structure in the blank requires a form of 'to be' for the passive voice ("was founded"). 'Had' alone doesn't fit the passive structure here.
- were: This is the plural past tense form of the verb 'to be'. It is used with plural subjects. Since "Fatehpur Sikri" is singular, 'were' is incorrect.
- is: This is the singular present tense form of the verb 'to be'. The sentence clearly refers to an event that happened in the past (16th century), so the present tense is inappropriate.
Based on the analysis, the only option that correctly provides the singular past tense form of 'to be' needed for the passive voice construction with a singular subject in the past is 'was'.
| Option | Verb Form | Subject Agreement | Tense/Voice Fit | Appropriate for Blank (1)? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| was | Singular Past of 'to be' | Yes (Fatehpur Sikri is singular) | Yes (Passive voice, Past tense) | Yes |
| had | Past of 'to have' | N/A (Doesn't form correct passive here) | No (Doesn't fit passive structure) | No |
| were | Plural Past of 'to be' | No (Fatehpur Sikri is singular) | N/A | No |
| is | Singular Present of 'to be' | Yes (Fatehpur Sikri is singular) | No (Present tense needed, but context is past) | No |
Therefore, the word that correctly completes the first blank is 'was'. The sentence becomes: "A city, predominantly made of red sandstone, Fatehpur Sikri was founded in the 16th century by the Mughal Emperor, Akbar."
Revision Table: Fatehpur Sikri Passage Blank 1
| Blank Number | Context Clues | Grammar Requirement | Correct Word |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | "Fatehpur Sikri", "founded in the 16th century", "by the Mughal Emperor, Akbar" | Singular subject, past tense, passive voice | was |
Additional Information: Passive Voice and Subject-Verb Agreement
This question tests two key grammar concepts: passive voice and subject-verb agreement.
- Passive Voice: In passive voice, the subject receives the action. The structure is usually "Subject + form of 'to be' + past participle of main verb + (optional) by + doer". In our sentence, "Fatehpur Sikri" (subject) receives the action "founded". The structure is "Fatehpur Sikri + was + founded + by Akbar".
- Subject-Verb Agreement: A verb must agree in number with its subject. If the subject is singular, the verb must be singular. If the subject is plural, the verb must be plural. "Fatehpur Sikri" is a singular proper noun, so it requires a singular verb form (like 'was' or 'is').
Understanding these concepts is crucial for accurately filling in blanks in passages.
Important Questions from Cloze Test
What would come in blank space (1)?
What would come in blank space (2)?
What would come in blank space (3)?
What would come in blank space (4)?
What would come in blank space (5)?
