In the following passage, a word has been left out. Select the correct option to fill the blank: We move into an incredible space of liberation, primarily in thought, but perhaps more restrictively in defining ______, or maybe even doing away with it.

Introduction / Context:

This cloze test sentence discusses redefining or even abandoning certain ideas while moving into a creative or liberated mental space. The phrase in defining ______, or maybe even doing away with it suggests that the missing word should be something that can be defined as a concept and then possibly discarded. The surrounding discussion of dance, music, and the way people talk, think, or love points toward an abstract notion connected with aesthetics.

Given Data / Assumptions:

- Sentence fragment: in defining ______, or maybe even doing away with it.

- Options: beautifully, beauty, beautiful, beautify.

- The pronoun it at the end refers back to the missing word.

- The verb defining normally takes a noun as its object, such as defining truth, defining value, or defining beauty.

Concept / Approach:

The word that follows defining must be a noun because defining requires an object: defining what? Among the options, beauty is a noun referring to the quality of being pleasing to the senses or to the mind. Beautiful is an adjective, beautifully is an adverb, and beautify is a verb. The passage talks about defining beauty as an idea and possibly doing away with it, which fits perfectly with the author's reflective, artistic tone.

Step-by-Step Solution:

Verification / Alternative check:

Complete the sentence with beauty: in defining beauty, or maybe even doing away with it. This fits the philosophical tone of the passage, where the writer is questioning existing ideas about what counts as beautiful. If we try beautifully, beautiful, or beautify, the sentence becomes awkward or ungrammatical: in defining beautifully makes no sense as a concept; in defining beautiful lacks a noun; in defining beautify misuses a verb as a noun.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:

Beautifully is wrong because it is an adverb and cannot act as the direct object of defining. Beautiful is wrong because it is an adjective and requires a noun to modify, such as beautiful art, not defining beautiful alone. Beautify is wrong because it is a verb that means to make something beautiful and cannot name the concept that is being defined or discarded. None of these forms fits the grammatical slot or the meaning of the sentence.

Common Pitfalls:

A common pitfall is to choose the most attractive sounding word or the one that feels poetic, such as beautiful or beautifully, without checking the grammar. Another mistake is not noticing that the pronoun it refers back to the missing word, which must therefore be a noun. To avoid these errors, always identify the grammatical function required by the verb before the blank, and check whether the pronoun reference at the end of the clause matches your choice.

Final Answer:

The correct word is beauty, giving the phrase in defining beauty, or maybe even doing away with it.