Fill in the blank with the most appropriate verb: "The new railway counter at Dwarka should _____ all travellers." Choose the option that best completes this sentence in standard English.

Difficulty: Easy

Correct Answer: benefit

Explanation:


Introduction / Context:
This cloze question focuses on vocabulary and collocation. The sentence is about a new railway counter at Dwarka and what it should do for all travellers. The correct verb must fit both the grammatical structure "should ____ all travellers" and the intended positive meaning that the new facility helps or serves travellers in some useful way.



Given Data / Assumptions:

    - Sentence: "The new railway counter at Dwarka should _____ all travellers." - Subject: "The new railway counter at Dwarka". - Modal verb: "should", which is followed by a base form of a verb. - Options: "benefit", "reward", "reserve", "provide". - The context is a public service facility for travellers at a railway station.


Concept / Approach:
The new railway counter is not giving prizes or reserving people; instead, it is meant to offer services that are helpful. In English, we commonly say that a new service, policy, or facility "benefits" users or travellers, meaning that it is advantageous to them. The verb "benefit" fits the pattern "benefit someone" and captures the idea that the counter helps all travellers. The other options either do not collocate well or change the meaning.



Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Examine the structure "should _____ all travellers". The blank must be filled with a verb in the base form. Step 2: Test "benefit": "The new railway counter at Dwarka should benefit all travellers." This sounds natural and expresses that the counter will help everyone who uses it. Step 3: Test "reward": "The new railway counter at Dwarka should reward all travellers" suggests giving prizes or special gifts, which is not the typical role of a railway counter. Step 4: Test "reserve": "The new railway counter at Dwarka should reserve all travellers" is incorrect because we reserve seats or tickets, not people. The verb does not take "travellers" as a direct object in this context. Step 5: Test "provide": "The new railway counter at Dwarka should provide all travellers" is incomplete; we need an object after "provide", such as "provide all travellers with information". Without that extra object, the sentence is grammatically incomplete. Step 6: Conclude that "benefit" is the only option that gives a grammatically complete and semantically appropriate sentence.


Verification / Alternative check:
Compare similar sentences: "The new metro line will benefit commuters" or "This policy should benefit all citizens". In each case, "benefit" is used to show that a change is advantageous to a group of people. The same idea applies to a new railway counter, which should benefit travellers by saving time, reducing queues, and providing better service. This confirms that "benefit" is the correct verb choice.



Why Other Options Are Wrong:
"Reward" is associated with giving something as a prize or as recognition for good behaviour, which is not the basic function of a railway counter. "Reserve" normally takes objects like "seats" or "tickets" and not "travellers" themselves. "Provide" needs an additional object ("provide information", "provide facilities") and cannot stand alone with "all travellers" as the direct object without something more, so it makes the sentence incomplete.



Common Pitfalls:
Students sometimes choose verbs that seem generally positive without checking if they fit grammatically or collocate naturally with the nouns. A useful strategy is to mentally complete the sentence with a few extra words, such as "provide all travellers with tickets", and see whether the verb still makes sense in the original, shorter version. In this question, only "benefit" works smoothly without adding more words.



Final Answer:
benefit correctly completes the sentence as "The new railway counter at Dwarka should benefit all travellers."

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