Improve the bracketed part of the sentence by choosing the most appropriate idiomatic expression: The young man (was carried by) the passionate appeal made by the social worker.

Difficulty: Easy

Correct Answer: got carried away by

Explanation:


Introduction / Context:
This sentence improvement question tests knowledge of natural and idiomatic English. The aim is to replace the bracketed part "was carried by" with a more appropriate expression that accurately conveys how the young man reacted emotionally to the passionate appeal made by the social worker. Such questions are common in competitive exams because they check both grammar and a learner's sense of idiomatic usage.


Given Data / Assumptions:

  • Original sentence: The young man (was carried by) the passionate appeal made by the social worker.
  • The bracketed portion "was carried by" is grammatically clumsy and unidiomatic in this context.
  • The intended meaning is that the young man was strongly influenced or emotionally swept up by the appeal.
  • We must choose a replacement that sounds natural and preserves this meaning.


Concept / Approach:
In English, the common expression for becoming emotionally overwhelmed or swept along by feelings, music, or a speech is "to get carried away." When we say "he got carried away by the speech" we mean he was strongly influenced, perhaps excessively. On the other hand, phrases such as "was carried by" or "was carried towards" usually refer to physical movement, and "was carried off by" often suggests kidnapping or removal. Therefore, the best improvement is the idiom "got carried away by."


Step-by-Step Solution:

Step 1: Identify the intended meaning: the young man was emotionally influenced, not physically carried. Step 2: Compare each option with this meaning. "Got carried away by" clearly suggests emotional influence. Step 3: Notice that "was carried by" and "was carried towards" sound like physical movement rather than emotional influence. Step 4: Observe that "was carried off by" often implies being taken away against one's will, which does not fit the context. Step 5: Conclude that "got carried away by" is the most natural and idiomatic improvement.


Verification / Alternative check:
Substitute the chosen phrase back into the sentence: "The young man got carried away by the passionate appeal made by the social worker." This version is smooth and clearly expresses that the appeal deeply influenced him. It matches standard usage in spoken and written English. No other option gives the same clear emotional nuance without sounding awkward or misleading.


Why Other Options Are Wrong:

Option B: "was carried by" is not idiomatic for emotional influence and sounds incomplete, as if describing a physical journey. Option C: "was carried off by" suggests being taken away physically, sometimes even kidnapped or killed, which is not intended here. Option D: "was carried towards" implies physical direction or movement rather than an emotional reaction. Option E: "was deeply moved by" is close in meaning, but the question type usually expects a standard idiom; the classical improvement in such exam patterns is "got carried away by."


Common Pitfalls:
Candidates often focus only on literal meanings of verbs like "carry" and forget that many English expressions are idiomatic. Another pitfall is choosing a phrase that is grammatically correct but not natural in everyday usage. Remember that improvement questions aim for the most idiomatic, concise, and contextually appropriate phrase, not just any phrase that seems understandable in isolation.


Final Answer:
The best improvement of the bracketed part is got carried away by.

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