Multiple choice

He capered before them down the forty-foot hole, fluttering his wing-like hands, leaping nimbly, Mercury's hat quivering in the fresh wind that bore back to them his brief bird-sweet cries.

  1. capered before them down the forty-foot hole, fluttering his wing-like hands, leaping nimbly, Mercury's hat quivering in the fresh wind that bore back

  2. is capering before them down the forty-foot hole, fluttering his wing-like hands, leaping nimbly, Mercury's hat quivering in the fresh wind bearing

  3. capers before them down towards the forty-foot hole, fluttering his wing-like hands, leaping nimbly, Mercury's hat quivering in the fresh wind that bears

  4. capered before them down towards the forty-foot hole, fluttering his wing-like hands, leaping nimbly, Mercury's hat quivering in the fresh wind that bore back

  5. capered before them down towards the forty-foot hole, fluttered his wing-like hands, leaped nimbly and Mercury's hat quivered in the fresh wind that bore back
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
D Correct answer
Explanation

Caper implies jumping or skipping playfully so capering or capers can be used only if the activity is performed live – a very unlikely situation. Capered down towards the forty-foot hole is better than capering down the forty foot hole because in the latter case it would not be a caper as much a leaping to death. The fresh wind can bear the bird-sweet cries but ‘bear to them’ requires a ‘back’. Hence (4).

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