Direction: Each of the following sentences in this section has a blank space with four-word or a group of words given. Select whichever word or group of words you consider the most appropriate for the blank space and indicate your response on the answer sheet accordingly. The difficult thing about (1)_________the science of habits is that most people when they hear about this field of research (2)______ to know the secret formula for quickly changing any habit. If scientists have discovered how (3)______ patterns work, then it stands to reason that they (4)________ have also found a recipe for rapid change, right? if only it (5)_________ that easy. It's not (6)________ formulas don't exist. The problem is that there isn't one formula for (7)_________ habits. There are thousands. Individuals and habits are (8)_________ different and so the specifics of diagnosing and changing the patterns in our lives differ from person to (9)________ and behaviour to behaviour. Giving up cigarettes is different (10)________ curbing overeating, which is different from changing how you communicate with your spouse, (11)_______ is different from how you prioritize tasks at work. What's more, each person's habits are (12)______ by different cravings. As a result, this book does not (13)________ one prescription, Rather, I hoped to deliver something else: a framework for understanding (14)_________ habits work and a guide to experimenting with how they (15)________ change. Some habits yield easily to analysis and influence. Others are (16)______ complex and obstinate and require prolonged study. And for others, change is a (17)_______ that never fully concludes. But that does not (18)_______ it can't occur. Each chapter in this book explains a different aspect of why habits exist and how they function. The framework (19)___________ in this section is an attempt to distill, in (20)_________ very basic way, the tactics that researchers have found for diagnosing and shaping habits within our own lives.
What would come in place of 9
person
Understanding Sentence Completion in the Habits Passage
This question asks us to complete a sentence within a passage discussing the science of habits and how they differ among individuals. To answer correctly, we need to read the sentence carefully and consider the context and common English phrasing.
Analyzing Blank (9) in the Sentence
The sentence containing blank (9) reads: "Individuals and habits are (8)_________ different and so the specifics of diagnosing and changing the patterns in our lives differ from person to (9)________ and behaviour to behaviour."
We are focusing on the phrase "differ from person to (9)_________". This phrase describes how the process of changing habits varies when applied to different people.
Evaluating the Options for Blank (9)
Let's look at the provided options for blank (9):
- people: This is a plural noun referring to multiple persons.
- persons: This is also a plural noun, sometimes used in more formal contexts.
- personnel: This refers to the staff or employees of an organization.
- person: This is a singular noun referring to an individual.
Finding the Correct Word Based on Idiom
The structure "from [singular noun] to [singular noun]" is a common way in English to express variation or difference across individuals, things, or places. For example:
- From place to place
- From day to day
- From case to case
In the context of individuals, the phrase "from person to person" is a widely recognized idiom meaning that something varies depending on the individual involved.
Considering the sentence "differ from person to (9)_________", the most fitting word to complete this idiomatic phrase and maintain the intended meaning (that the specifics vary for each individual) is the singular noun "person".
Let's try fitting the options into the sentence:
- Differ from person to people: This does not sound correct and is not a standard idiom.
- Differ from person to persons: While grammatically possible in some constructions, it is not the standard idiom for expressing individual variation and sounds awkward here.
- Differ from person to personnel: This makes no sense in the context of individual habit change.
- Differ from person to person: This forms the common idiom "from person to person", perfectly conveying that the process differs for each individual.
Therefore, "person" is the most appropriate word to complete the phrase and the sentence logically and idiomatically.
Conclusion for Blank (9)
Based on the analysis of the sentence structure, context, and common English idioms, the word that best fits in blank (9) is "person". The phrase "from person to person" clearly indicates that the specifics of diagnosing and changing habits vary for each individual.
The completed part of the sentence is: "...differ from person to person and behaviour to behaviour."
Revision Table: Key Learnings
| Concept | Explanation | Relevance to Question |
|---|---|---|
| Idioms | Phrases whose meaning is not obvious from the individual words (e.g., "from person to person"). | Understanding the idiom was key to choosing the correct word for blank (9). |
| Context Clues | Using surrounding words and sentences to understand the meaning of a word or phrase. | The sentence structure "differ from person to..." strongly suggests the need for an idiomatic completion. |
| Singular vs. Plural | Knowing when to use a word referring to one thing (singular) versus many (plural). | The structure of the idiom "from person to person" requires the singular form in both parts. |
Additional Information: Understanding Idiomatic Phrases
Idiomatic phrases are an important part of language. They add richness but can be tricky for learners because their meaning is fixed and doesn't follow standard grammatical rules or literal interpretations.
- Many idioms follow specific patterns, like "from X to X" where X is a singular noun (e.g., door to door, face to face, hand to hand).
- Learning common idioms helps in understanding native speech and writing and makes your own language sound more natural.
- When encountering a fill-in-the-blank question involving prepositions like "from" and "to", consider if a common idiom fits the context.
- The passage emphasizes that habit change is highly individual. The idiom "from person to person" perfectly supports this idea.
Recognizing and correctly using such phrases is crucial for mastering vocabulary and sentence structure in English comprehension questions.
Similar Questions
What would come in place of 1
What would come in place of 2
What would come in place of 3
What would come in place of 4
What would come in place of 5
What would come in place of 6
What would come in place of 7
What would come in place of 8
What would come in place of 10
What would come in place of 11
Important Questions from Cloze Test
What would come in place of 1
What would come in place of 2
What would come in place of 3
What would come in place of 4
What would come in place of 5
