16Hit1600
Craft and StructureMediumAdjective fixed by inconsistent performance

Craft and Structure practice question

The old boiler's performance was ____: some mornings it heated the whole building, on others it produced nothing but a rattle.

Which choice completes the text with the most logical and precise word or phrase?

  1. A. erraticCorrect
  2. B. reliable
  3. C. powerful
  4. D. silent

Answer: A. erratic

Working fully one day and not at all the next is unpredictable, uneven behaviour — 'erratic'.

Why the other answers are wrong

B. reliable
'Reliable' is the opposite of what the colon describes.
C. powerful
'Powerful' doesn't capture the days it produced only a rattle.
D. silent
A rattling boiler is not silent, and silence isn't the point.

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