In the following passage, some of the words have been left out. Read the passage carefully and select the correct answer for the given blank out of the four alternatives. My tooth brush is a thing that haunts me when I am travelling, and ____________ my life a misery. I constantly worry that I have not packed it, wake up in a cold sweat and get out of bed to hunt for it. In the morning, I pack it before I have used it and then have to unpack again to get it, and it is always the last thing I turn out of the bag. Then I repack and forget it, and have to rush upstairs for it at the last moment and carry it to the railway station wrapped up in my handkerchief. Of course, when I really need it, I can never find it. Fill in the blank: when I am travelling, and ____________ my life a misery.

Introduction / Context:
This humorous passage describes the narrator's exaggerated anxiety about a simple object: a tooth brush. The sentence we must complete explains that the tooth brush haunts the narrator when travelling and has a particular effect on his life. The blank requires a verb form that agrees with the subject and fits the sentence pattern.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• The sentence is: My tooth brush is a thing that haunts me when I am travelling, and ____________ my life a misery.
• The subject of the second verb is still my tooth brush, a singular noun.
• The structure is: X is a thing that haunts me and makes my life a misery.
• The options are making, makes, to make and maker.

Concept / Approach:
The main concept is subject verb agreement and coordination of verbs. The sentence uses a singular subject and a singular verb form in the first clause (is, haunts). The verb in the second clause must also be in simple present singular form to maintain parallelism: haunts and makes. The use of and links two present tense verbs describing what the tooth brush does.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Recognise the pattern: My tooth brush... haunts me when I am travelling, and ______ my life a misery.Step 2: Insert each option: and making my life a misery; and makes my life a misery; and to make my life a misery; and maker my life a misery.Step 3: Note that makes is the only option that fits grammatically and preserves correct agreement with the singular subject.Step 4: Choose makes as the correct completion.

Verification / Alternative check:
The full sentence with the correct word is: My tooth brush is a thing that haunts me when I am travelling, and makes my life a misery. This is the standard phrasing, and matches traditional versions of this famous comic passage. The other options either change the tense and structure or do not function as verbs at all.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Option A, making, would require an auxiliary verb (is making) or a slightly different structure, such as and is making my life a misery.
Option C, to make, is an infinitive and does not fit directly after and in this coordinated pattern.
Option D, maker, is a noun and cannot serve as a verb in this position.

Common Pitfalls:
Some candidates may be tempted by making because it often appears after verbs like is. However, here the verb is already present earlier in the sentence, and the conjunction and simply connects it with another main verb in the same tense and form. Forgetting the need for subject verb agreement can lead to errors.

Final Answer:
The tooth brush both haunts the narrator and makes his life a misery, so the correct verb form is makes.