Fill in the Blanks

This is the correct option. ‘Limpid’ here implies that the sky is completely clear.

This is the correct option. To ‘let alone’ here implies not to mention.

This is the correct option. ‘Astride’ as a preposition is used to imply on or over and with a leg on each side of something.

The preposition ‘upon’ is used to indicate when something is on or onto the surface of something. This is correct in this context as this indicates the surface of the sofa.

The preposition ‘for’ is used to link two concepts, one of which is the object of the other. In this context, this is correct as the two concepts being linked together are a cause for complaint.

'Luggage' is an uncountable noun in English, so it takes a singular verb. The sentence 'Some of the luggage has not yet arrived' correctly uses 'has' (singular) to agree with the singular subject 'luggage.' While 'some' can be used with both countable and uncountable nouns, the verb must agree with the noun it modifies - here, 'luggage' is uncountable.

The construction 'one of the' …must be followed by a plural noun. But, the whole sentence is singular. So, singular verb will be used. Hence correct option is 3.

The phrase 'as if' introduces a hypothetical or contrary-to-fact situation, which requires the subjunctive mood. In English subjunctive, we use 'were' instead of 'was' for all subjects, including singular subjects like 'he'. This is a fixed grammatical rule for hypothetical comparisons.

The possessive adjective 'our' must be followed by a noun ('friends'), while the possessive pronoun 'ours' stands alone and replaces 'our + noun'. Saying 'ours friends' is incorrect because 'ours' already functions as a complete possessive phrase and cannot modify another noun.

The word 'since' indicates an action that began in the past and continues to the present. The present perfect continuous tense ('has been playing') is used for ongoing actions with a specified starting point. 'Has played' would imply a completed action, while 'is playing' lacks the temporal connection to 'since'.

'Could' expresses past ability or capability - things a person was able to do in the past. 'Might' indicates possibility, 'would' shows hypothetical or habitual past action, and 'did' is the simple past auxiliary for main verbs. The sentence specifically refers to ability 'when I was young', making 'could' the correct choice.

After 'I wonder whether', 'would' is used to express a hypothetical or uncertain future possibility. 'Shall' and 'will' are too definite for a context of wondering, while 'should' implies obligation or advice. The sentence conveys doubt about ever seeing someone again, requiring the conditional nature of 'would'.

The 'no sooner' construction requires subject-auxiliary inversion. While 'had he come' (past perfect) is often prescribed, 'did he come' (simple past) is acceptable when the focus is on event sequence rather than exact temporal relationship. Options without inversion ('he came') or with incorrect verb forms ('did he came') are grammatically wrong.

The correct option is "took his seat". We can also say "his or her seat".

'Erratic' means inconsistent, irregular, or unpredictable in behavior - perfect for describing a power supply that causes machinery to be idle. 'Sudden' is a one-time event, not a persistent quality; 'bad' is vague; and 'least' is grammatically incorrect and semantically nonsensical in this context.