Single correct option
Fill in the blank with the most suitable option.
The passengers were ____ by the sudden jolt of turbulence.
The passengers were ____ by the sudden jolt of turbulence.
- A. startled
- B. startling
- C. startle
- D. startles
Show answer and solution
Answer: (A) startled
The sentence is passive, 'were ____ by', so a past participle is required. 'Startled' is the correct participle describing how the passengers felt. 'Startling' would describe the jolt itself, and the other options are base or present forms that cannot follow 'were'.
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