Fill in the blank with the most appropriate verb in the sentence The Department has ________ a complaint against Mr. Bakshi.

Introduction / Context:
This vocabulary and collocation question tests your ability to choose the verb that naturally fits with the noun complaint in a formal administrative context. The sentence is The Department has blank a complaint against Mr. Bakshi. Government departments, police, and other official bodies use certain standard expressions when talking about complaints. Examinations often check these fixed combinations because they reflect real usage in newspapers, legal documents, and formal communication.

Given Data / Assumptions:

The sentence reads The Department has blank a complaint against Mr. Bakshi.

The options are expressed, registered, informed, and noted.

The context is clearly formal and legal or administrative, since a department acts against a named individual.

We must select the verb that forms a common collocation with complaint in this context.

Concept / Approach:
In formal English, we often talk about filing a complaint, lodging a complaint, or registering a complaint with an authority. The verb registered is widely used in official reports and legal contexts, especially in Indian English, to indicate that a complaint has been formally entered into records. The other verbs do not pair as naturally with complaint in this structure. Expressed a complaint is unusual; one normally expresses concern or dissatisfaction. Informed a complaint is ungrammatical because informed needs an object such as informed him or informed the department. Noted a complaint sounds like someone has simply observed it, not that the department has formally made it. Therefore, registered is the verb that best matches both meaning and usage.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Identify the key noun complaint and recall common verbs that collocate with it in legal and administrative language. Step 2: Recognise that idiomatic expressions include register a complaint, file a complaint, and lodge a complaint among others. Step 3: Compare these with the options and see that registered directly matches this familiar phrase. Step 4: Check whether the other options can be used in the same structure and notice that they either sound unnatural or change the meaning away from formal action. Step 5: Conclude that The Department has registered a complaint against Mr. Bakshi is the only option that is both grammatically correct and idiomatic.

Verification / Alternative check:
Imagine reading a news report. Sentences such as The police have registered a complaint or The department has registered a complaint are very common. Now try replacing registered with expressed, informed, or noted. The Department has expressed a complaint against Mr. Bakshi sounds awkward; departments may express concern or disapproval but usually do not express a complaint. The Department has informed a complaint is incomplete because one informs a person, not a complaint. The Department has noted a complaint suggests they became aware of a complaint filed by someone else, not that they themselves took action against Mr. Bakshi. This usage check confirms that registered is the most accurate and natural choice.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Option A expressed does not form a standard collocation with complaint in this structure and would normally take objects like regret or opinions. Option C informed requires a person or body as object, for example informed the committee, and does not work directly with complaint. Option D noted suggests only that the department observed or recorded something, not that it actively initiated a formal case against a person.

Common Pitfalls:
Learners sometimes ignore collocations and rely only on general word meanings. Since all the verbs have formal or neutral tones, candidates may feel that any of them might fit. However, natural English uses specific verb noun pairs, and exam setters use these to distinguish between learners who simply know word meanings and those who know real usage. A good preparation habit is to read official notices, news articles, and legal reports, paying attention to standard phrases such as register a case, file a complaint, and issue a notice.

Final Answer:
registered