In the following sentence improvement question, the underlined part is continuously: Whether we realise or not we are continuously making choices every moment of our lives. Choose the best replacement, or select No improvement if the sentence is already correct.

Difficulty: Easy

Correct Answer: constantly

Explanation:


Introduction / Context:
This question examines your understanding of adverb usage and nuance in English. The sentence is Whether we realise or not we are continuously making choices every moment of our lives. The underlined adverb continuously sounds close to what is intended, but the exam is asking whether there is a more natural word in this context. The idea is that at all moments in life we are always making choices, not necessarily in an unbroken physical sequence, but as a regular, ongoing fact of life.


Given Data / Assumptions:

  • Sentence: Whether we realise or not we are continuously making choices every moment of our lives.
  • Underlined word: continuously.
  • Options: comprehensively, comparatively, constantly, No improvement, repeatedly.
  • Intended meaning: We are always making choices throughout our lives.


Concept / Approach:
The adverb constantly is the most natural choice here because it expresses the idea of something happening very often or all the time over a period. Continuously emphasises without stopping or without any break, which is more suitable for physical processes like a machine running continuously. In human life, we may have brief pauses between choices, but as a general truth, we can say we are constantly making choices. Therefore constantly better matches the philosophical statement being made. The other options do not convey the intended meaning about frequency or ongoing nature.


Step-by-Step Solution:

Step 1: Identify the intended idea: at every stage or very frequently in life, we make choices, whether we notice it or not. Step 2: Compare the nuances of continuously and constantly. Step 3: Recognise that constantly means happening regularly or all the time in a general sense, which suits life choices. Step 4: Replace continuously with constantly to get: Whether we realise or not we are constantly making choices every moment of our lives.


Verification / Alternative check:
Read the improved sentence aloud: Whether we realise or not we are constantly making choices every moment of our lives. It sounds natural and fluent, and the meaning is clear: at all times we face decisions. If we keep continuously, the sentence still makes sense, but it suggests an unbroken chain without even a moment's gap, which is less idiomatic when speaking about everyday choices. Thus constantly is stylistically superior and closer to what a native speaker would choose in this philosophical context.


Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Option A (comprehensively) refers to doing something completely or in a detailed way, but it does not describe frequency, so it does not fit here. Option B (comparatively) is used when comparing one thing to another, again irrelevant to the idea of ongoing choices. Option D (No improvement) is not the best choice because continuously is not as natural in this abstract, life-philosophy statement as constantly. Option E (repeatedly) means again and again, but usually with clear separate events; it does not capture the sense of an almost uninterrupted flow of decisions throughout life.


Common Pitfalls:
Many learners treat continuously and constantly as exact synonyms, but their typical uses differ. Continuously is often used for literal, physical continuity (a continuously flowing stream, a machine working continuously), while constantly is more common for habits and general truths (constantly worrying, constantly changing weather). In exam questions, subtle differences like this are crucial. To avoid mistakes, pay attention not only to dictionary meanings but also to how words are commonly used in sentences.


Final Answer:
The best improvement is constantly, giving: Whether we realise or not we are constantly making choices every moment of our lives.

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