The market was full of people __________ attractive clothes of different styles. Choose the option that best completes this sentence in standard English.

Difficulty: Easy

Correct Answer: wearing

Explanation:


Introduction / Context:
This question tests English grammar and usage through a sentence completion task. The sentence given is The market was full of people __________ attractive clothes of different styles. You must choose the option that best fits both grammatically and logically. Such questions appear frequently in aptitude exams to check whether a candidate can select natural, idiomatic English expressions rather than simply focusing on individual word meanings.


Given Data / Assumptions:

  • The base sentence describes a busy market scene.
  • The missing part should describe what people are doing in relation to attractive clothes.
  • The options are showing, watching, having, and wearing.
  • The phrase attractive clothes of different styles suggests that the clothes belong to the people in the market.
  • We assume standard spoken and written English usage for describing how people appear in a place.


Concept / Approach:
The core idea is that markets are often full of people who are dressed in many types of clothes. When we talk about people in a place, we normally say they are wearing certain clothes. The word wearing expresses that the clothes are on their bodies as garments. The other options either give an odd meaning or break the natural collocation. Showing attractive clothes would suggest sellers displaying garments, but the sentence focuses on the market being full of people, not on stalls. Watching attractive clothes sounds unnatural because we usually watch events, shows, or people, not just clothes. Having attractive clothes could be grammatically possible but is not the usual expression for what you see in a crowd.


Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Read the sentence: The market was full of people __________ attractive clothes of different styles. Step 2: Ask what the speaker is likely describing about the people in the market. Step 3: Recognise that the focus is on the visual scene: many people in many different outfits. Step 4: Recall the natural English phrase people wearing attractive clothes, which describes how they are dressed. Step 5: Compare this phrase with each option and see that wearing fits perfectly as a present participle modifying people. Step 6: Choose wearing as the correct completion.


Verification / Alternative check:
We can test each option in the sentence. Showing attractive clothes of different styles would more naturally describe shopkeepers or mannequins, not the crowd itself, and would require extra context like stalls showing clothes. Watching attractive clothes does not sound idiomatic: people watch performances or scenes, not clothes alone. Having attractive clothes might be technically understandable, but we do not usually say full of people having clothes; we say wearing clothes when we describe what is on them. Wearing attractive clothes of different styles perfectly describes what one sees in a crowded, colourful market. The structure people wearing is also a standard way to join a noun and its descriptive participial phrase.


Why Other Options Are Wrong:
showing: This could describe merchants or displays, but the sentence talks about people filling the market, so the natural focus should be on what they are wearing, not on them showing clothes. watching: We do not normally say people watching clothes. This use of watch does not fit the context of clothing and crowd description. having: Although not completely impossible, having is awkward here. People having attractive clothes usually refers to ownership, not visible appearance in a market scene.


Common Pitfalls:
A common pitfall is to overthink and choose showing because clothes in markets are often displayed. However, the sentence structure the market was full of people points to the people themselves and what they look like, not to stalls. Another mistake is to treat having as acceptable just because it fits grammatically, without considering natural collocations. In sentence completion, it is important to choose the option that a fluent speaker would most naturally use. That is why wearing is the best and correct answer.


Final Answer:
The best completion is The market was full of people wearing attractive clothes of different styles, so wearing is the correct option.

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