This sentence improvement question focuses on correct idiomatic expression: "The aggressive response after the peace summit made no sense of the call for moderation." Choose the option that best improves the underlined part.

Difficulty: Easy

Correct Answer: made nonsense of

Explanation:


Introduction / Context:
This item asks you to choose the most appropriate idiomatic expression to complete a sentence about political or diplomatic behaviour. The sentence The aggressive response after the peace summit made no sense of the call for moderation is intended to convey that the reaction completely undermined or contradicted the earlier call for moderation. The phrase made no sense of is not idiomatic in this context. Instead, English uses made nonsense of to show that one thing makes another appear meaningless or absurd. Recognising standard collocations like make nonsense of is crucial for mastering high level usage questions.


Given Data / Assumptions:
The sentence and options provide the following information.

  • Subject: The aggressive response after the peace summit.
  • Object: the call for moderation.
  • Underlined part: made no sense of the call for moderation.
  • Intended meaning: the response contradicted and destroyed the value of the call for moderation.
  • The correct option should express that the response turned the call into something meaningless.


Concept / Approach:
In English, the phrase to make nonsense of something means to show that it is foolish, inconsistent, or meaningless in practice. For example, His actions made nonsense of his promises. This is exactly the meaning needed here: the aggressive response made the earlier call for moderation look empty and insincere. The structure made nonsense of fits this pattern perfectly. On the other hand, made no sense of is not a recognised idiom; we normally say made no sense to or did not make sense, which describe lack of understanding, not contradiction between policy and action.


Step-by-Step Solution:

Step 1: Understand the situation: after a peace summit that called for moderation, there was an aggressive response, which clearly contradicts that call. Step 2: Identify the idea the writer wants to express: the aggressive response turned the call for moderation into something meaningless or ridiculous. Step 3: Recall the idiomatic expression make nonsense of something, which means to render it meaningless by acting in the opposite way. Step 4: Replace made no sense of with made nonsense of so the sentence reads The aggressive response after the peace summit made nonsense of the call for moderation.


Verification / Alternative check:
Read the improved sentence: The aggressive response after the peace summit made nonsense of the call for moderation. This clearly states that the response destroyed the credibility of the earlier call, which is what the sentence aims to convey. Similar examples in political commentary use the same phrase, such as The new policy makes nonsense of the government's stated commitment to transparency. This confirms that made nonsense of is the correct and idiomatic choice.


Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Option B, made no sense to, would produce made no sense to the call for moderation, which is grammatically odd and usually used for people, as in made no sense to me. Option C, make no sense to, has a verb in the wrong tense and still suffers from the same idiomatic problem. Option D, No improvement, would keep made no sense of, which is not the standard expression and does not accurately express the idea that the call was undermined. Option E, makes nonsense to, is ungrammatical because we say makes nonsense of, not makes nonsense to. Therefore, option A is the only correct improvement.


Common Pitfalls:
Many learners try to assemble idioms word by word, resulting in combinations that are close but not actually used by native speakers. This is especially common with phrases involving sense and nonsense. To avoid such mistakes, learn collocations as fixed units, for example: make sense of something, make no sense to someone, and make nonsense of something. In exams, pay attention not only to grammar but also to typical patterns and usage from reading newspapers, magazines, and good books. These sources will help you develop an ear for correct idiomatic English.


Final Answer:
The improved sentence should read: The aggressive response after the peace summit made nonsense of the call for moderation.

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