Question

The protest march quickly turned into a riot, and in the response by police, several people on either side were killed and dozens more wounded; it would later be ______ remembered by both sides as a tragic accident, and no blame would be assigned. a. indignantly b. mournfully c. spitefully d. bitterly e. soberly f. melancholically

Short answer

b. mournfully

Step-by-step solution

Understand the context

Read the sentence carefully to understand the situation being described. It mentions a protest that turned into a riot, resulting in deaths and injuries. The event is described as tragic and with no blame assigned.

Identify the tone

Determine the overall tone of the sentence. Words like 'tragic accident' and 'no blame' suggest a somber and reflective tone rather than one of anger or bitterness.

Eliminate inappropriate options

Remove answer choices that do not match the tone identified in Step 2. 'Indignantly' and 'spitefully' imply anger and resentment, which do not fit the context. 'Bitterly' also implies a strong negative emotion.

Select the best fitting options

The remaining choices are 'mournfully', 'soberly', and 'melancholically'. All three suggest a sad or reflective state, which fits the context of a tragic accident with no blame assigned.

Choose the most appropriate word

Compare the nuances of the remaining choices. 'Mournfully' directly suggests sorrow for the loss of life, which fits well in this context. 'Soberly' and 'melancholically' are also correct but do not fit as perfectly as 'mournfully'.

Key concepts

Understanding the Context

In order to properly tackle GRE vocabulary questions, it's crucial to understand the context first. The sentence in the given exercise describes a protest that escalated into a riot, leading to casualties and injuries. It's important to note that the phrase 'no blame would be assigned' indicates a neutral perspective on the part of both sides involved. Understanding the scenario fully helps in selecting a word that accurately captures the tone. So always start by reading the sentence carefully and reflecting on its overall meaning. Each word in the sentence can give you clues about the right answer.

Analyzing the Tone

Tone analysis is another vital step in finding the correct vocabulary word. For this exercise, words like 'tragic accident' and 'no blame' are key indicators of the tone. They suggest a somber or reflective atmosphere, as opposed to one filled with anger or bitterness. Identifying whether the text's tone is sad, neutral, or angry will guide you to choose the appropriate word from the given options. In this case, the tone is reflective and somber, which narrows down our choices.

Answer Elimination

After understanding the context and identifying the tone, the next step is to eliminate the answer choices that don't fit. In the provided solution, words like 'indignantly' and 'spitefully' are removed first because they imply anger and resentment, which are not consistent with the tone identified. 'Bitterly' is also excluded as it conveys strong negative emotions. The remaining choices 'mournfully,' 'soberly,' and 'melancholically' all align with the somber tone but differ subtly. Comparing these nuances, 'mournfully' fits best as it directly suggests sorrow for the loss of life, making it the most appropriate choice. Always go through each option and eliminate those that don't fit to make your decision easier.