In this sentence about singing siblings, choose the adjective that best completes the blank: “It so happens that when siblings sing, one of them invariably has a less ______ vocal prowess even though both have a similarly commendable music base.”

Introduction / Context:
This English vocabulary question tests your understanding of collocations and the natural way native speakers describe ability. The sentence talks about two siblings who sing, and compares the strength of their “vocal prowess”. You are asked to choose the adjective that best completes the blank so that the sentence sounds natural, precise and grammatically correct.

Given Data / Assumptions:

1) The sentence describes two siblings who both sing.
2) One of them “invariably has a less ______ vocal prowess”.
3) The full sentence also mentions that both have a similarly commendable music base.
4) The options are: tuned, high, potent, wide.
5) We must pick the most appropriate adjective to qualify “vocal prowess”.

Concept / Approach:
To solve cloze tests based on vocabulary, you should focus on collocation (which words commonly go together) and precise meaning. “Vocal prowess” means the strength, power and effectiveness of someone’s singing ability. The adjective before it should describe degree or strength, not pitch or range alone. We also have the comparison word “less”, so the chosen adjective should fit naturally after “less” and before “vocal prowess”.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Understand “vocal prowess” as the power and effectiveness of someone’s singing. Step 2: Notice the structure “has a less ______ vocal prowess”, which calls for an adjective that can be graded (more or less). Step 3: Check “tuned”: we usually say “well tuned voice” or “out of tune”, not “tuned vocal prowess”. It does not collocate naturally here. Step 4: Check “high”: “high vocal prowess” is not a standard phrase. “High pitch” or “high voice” is common, but not “high prowess”. Step 5: Check “potent”: “potent” means powerful or strong. “Potent vocal prowess” is a natural, meaningful combination and can be graded as “more potent” or “less potent”. Step 6: Check “wide”: this normally describes “range” (wide range) rather than “prowess”, so “wide vocal prowess” sounds unnatural. Step 7: Therefore “potent” is the adjective that best fits in sense and collocation: “less potent vocal prowess”.

Verification / Alternative check:
Try substituting each option in the full sentence: “one of them invariably has a less tuned vocal prowess”, “less high vocal prowess”, “less potent vocal prowess”, “less wide vocal prowess”. Only “less potent vocal prowess” clearly communicates weaker singing power while sounding idiomatic. This confirms that “potent” is the correct choice.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
“tuned” usually describes whether something is in tune, not the overall prowess, so “less tuned vocal prowess” feels awkward. “high” is commonly used with “pitch” or “note”, not with “prowess”, and does not express strength. “wide” fits with “range”, not with “prowess”, so it is collocationally wrong here.

Common Pitfalls:
A common mistake is to choose a word that loosely fits the general topic of music (like “tuned” or “high”) without testing the exact phrase it forms. Another pitfall is to ignore the word “prowess” and focus only on “vocal”, leading to mismatched combinations like “wide vocal prowess”. Always read the noun phrase as a whole and check whether the adjective is something that native speakers would naturally use with that noun.

Final Answer:
The word that best completes the sentence is potent.