Fill in the Blanks

The correct answer is 'deserve' - 'the poor' is a collective noun referring to poor people as a group, requiring a plural verb. Adjectives like 'poor', 'rich', 'wounded' can function as nouns representing entire groups of people.

The correct answer is 'are' - 'the rich' functions as a plural collective noun referring to wealthy people as a group, so it takes the plural verb 'are'. This is a generalization about rich people not all being merciless.

The correct answer is 'one and a half time' - this expresses a 50% increase (1.5x). The pattern is 'one and a half' followed by what is being measured (time). Options C and D use incorrect forms like 'halfs' and 'halfs' which are not valid English words.

The correct answer is 'his or her' - when referring to a singular gender-neutral noun like 'teacher', the formally correct pronoun is 'his or her' to maintain both singular number and gender inclusivity. While 'their' is common in informal usage, formal grammar requires the singular construction.

The correct answer is 'air' - 'air' is an uncountable noun when referring to the atmosphere or the air we breathe. Uncountable nouns like air, water, and sunshine don't take plural forms in this context.

The correct answer is 'pains' - this comes from the idiomatic expression 'spare no pains' which means to make every effort or take great trouble to achieve something. The word 'pains' is used in its plural form as part of this fixed expression, even though it refers to the singular concept of effort.

The correct answer is 'iron' - when naming materials like iron, gold, or wood, we use the singular uncountable form. 'Iron' refers to the metal itself, not individual pieces, so it doesn't take a plural form.

The correct answer is 'returns' - 'income-tax returns' is the standard terminology for filed tax documents. Even when referring to a single submission, the conventional form uses the plural 'returns' as part of this fixed technical term. 'Return' alone would be understood but is less standard.

The word 'effects' here refers to belongings or possessions that are being moved. In this context, 'household effects' is a standard phrase meaning furniture and personal items. 'Effect' is singular, while 'effects' is the plural form used when referring collectively to someone's movable property.

The sentence requires a noun form to complete the phrase 'with great ________.' 'Force' as a noun means strength or power used in an action. 'Forces' would be plural, 'forced' is a verb/adjective, and 'corcing' appears to be a typographical error.

The word 'goods' refers to cargo, parcels, or freight being transported by train. While 'seats' would make sense for passenger travel, the sentence structure 'booked my ________ by passenger train' strongly suggests transportation of cargo. 'Goods' is the standard term used for rail cargo services.

'Customs duty' is the correct term referring to taxes on imported or exported goods. 'Custom' is singular and refers to traditions or habits, not taxation. 'Costom' and 'costoms' are misspellings. The phrase 'pay your customs duty' is a standard expression in trade and taxation.

'The woods' refers to a forested area or a collection of trees. 'Wood' as a noun is uncountable when referring to the material, while 'woods' is the plural form meaning forest. 'Woddes' is an archaic spelling error, and 'wooding' is not a standard word. The definite article 'the' indicates we need a specific place.

Present perfect continuous: 'have been living' should be used as the period of time (twenty years) is given. Thus, option (2) is the correct answer.

It is the verb in the passive form. It is not a norm, so option (1) cannot be used. Thus, option (2) is the correct answer.