Understanding Sentence Completion with Vocabulary

This question requires us to select the most appropriate word from the given options to complete the sentence: "The police were on high alert on account of the ___________ convict who had killed many people." The sentence describes a situation where the police are highly vigilant because of a particular type of convict.

Analyzing the Context and Sentence

The key elements in the sentence are:

• Police were on high alert: This indicates a dangerous or critical situation.
• Convict who had killed many people: This describes a highly dangerous person.
• The high alert is "on account of" this convict, meaning the convict's status or action is the reason for the alert.

We need a word that describes the convict's state or action that would cause the police to be on high alert, especially considering he is a killer.

Examining the Options

Let's look at each option:

1. run after:

   This is a verb phrase meaning to chase. It doesn't function as an adjective to describe the convict. You wouldn't say "the run after convict."

2. walk away:

   This is also a verb phrase meaning to leave. It doesn't fit grammatically or contextually as an adjective modifying "convict." A convict simply walking away might not necessitate a "high alert" unless they were escaping.

3. eloped:

   The word "eloped" means to run away secretly, typically with a lover to get married. This meaning is completely irrelevant to the context of a dangerous convict who is the cause of a police alert.

4. runaway:

   The word "runaway" can function as an adjective meaning having run away or escaped from control or custody. A "runaway convict" is a convict who has escaped from prison or custody. An escaped, dangerous killer would certainly cause the police to be on high alert.

Identifying the Most Appropriate Word

Based on the analysis, the word that best describes a dangerous convict whose status would lead to a police high alert is "runaway". A runaway convict is an escaped convict, and an escaped killer is a significant threat requiring immediate police action and high alert.

Completing the Sentence

Substituting "runaway" into the blank gives: "The police were on high alert on account of the runaway convict who had killed many people." This sentence makes perfect sense in context.

Conclusion

The most appropriate option to fill the blank is "runaway". It correctly describes the status of the dangerous convict that would trigger a police high alert.

Revision Table: Key Vocabulary in Context

Additional Information: Understanding "Runaway"

"Runaway" can be used as both an adjective and a noun.

• As an adjective: Describing someone or something that has run away or is out of control. Examples: a runaway child, a runaway train, a runaway success. In this question, it modifies "convict".
• As a noun: A person who has run away. Examples: The police are searching for the runaway. She was a teenage runaway.

In the context of legal or penal systems, a "runaway" often refers to someone who has escaped from detention, prison, or correctional facilities. This aligns perfectly with the description of a dangerous convict causing police alert.