Jack was __ by a man with a gun.

Jack was __ by a man with a gun.

• A. threatened
• B. terrified
• C. attacked
• D. frightened

Answer: (A)

This question tests choosing a verb that best describes what someone with a weapon does to another person in a threatening situation. To threaten someone means to say or imply you will harm them, which fits naturally with the passive construction was __ by a man with a gun. The sentence describes the attacker’s action, not an actual injury, so the action of threatening is the right fit. Attacked would describe a physical assault that already happened, which isn’t stated here. Terrified and frightened describe Jack’s emotional state, not the action performed by the man, so they shift the focus away from what the man did. Therefore, the best choice is that Jack was threatened by a man with a gun.

This question tests choosing a verb that best describes what someone with a weapon does to another person in a threatening situation. To threaten someone means to say or imply you will harm them, which fits naturally with the passive construction was __ by a man with a gun. The sentence describes the attacker’s action, not an actual injury, so the action of threatening is the right fit.

Attacked would describe a physical assault that already happened, which isn’t stated here. Terrified and frightened describe Jack’s emotional state, not the action performed by the man, so they shift the focus away from what the man did. Therefore, the best choice is that Jack was threatened by a man with a gun.