Because the copy editor was so ______, she checked every citation in the manuscript twice before approving it.
- Ameticulous
- Bnegligent
- Chasty
- Dindifferent
- Esporadic
Practice bank · Verbal
Text completion: match the evidence, not the vibe
This item was written for this site and solved a second time from scratch before it went up, so that exactly one answer survives. The byline is a masthead name, explained in full on who writes this, and the sourcing rules are set out on the standards page.
Try it before you scroll. Two minutes on the clock, then commit to an answer.
Correct answer: A
The sentence gives you direct evidence after the comma: checking every citation twice. The blank must describe a person who does exactly that.
- (A) meticulous means showing extreme care about details. Double-checking citations is the definition of meticulous behavior. Correct.
- (B) negligent is the opposite: careless, failing to check.
- (C) hasty contradicts the evidence; a hasty editor checks once, quickly, or not at all.
- (D) indifferent means having no particular interest, which clashes with the extra verification pass.
- (E) sporadic means occurring at irregular intervals; checking every citation twice is systematic, not sporadic.
The opening word “Because” is the hinge: it announces that the first half must be consistent with the second half. When a sentence is built on cause and effect, your job is to find the choice that makes the cause produce the stated effect. Here only meticulous produces double-checking.
Strategy note: on text completion, predict your own word before reading the choices. “Careful” or “thorough” would be the natural prediction here, and meticulous is the closest match.