Select the most appropriate option to substitute the underlined segment in the given sentence. If there is no need to substitute it, select 'No substitution'.

While he saw the bear, he ran to the nearest tree, dropped his gun and climbed to a safe place.

Question

Question

This question was previously asked in

SSC CGL 2023 Tier-I Official Paper (Held On: 21 Jul 2023 Shift 3)

Answer 1

The correct answer is: When he saw the bear

Key Points

The sentence can be improved by replacing "While" with "When."
"While" typically indicates a simultaneous occurrence or action, often without implying a direct cause-and-effect relationship.
- For example- While I was cooking dinner, my friend arrived at my house.
"When" is used to indicate a specific point in time or a particular event that triggers another action. It implies a cause-and-effect relationship.
- For example- When I heard the thunder, I decided to stay indoors.
In the given sentence, "When" is a more suitable choice because it establishes that the sighting of the bear prompted the person to take immediate action.

Therefore, the correct answer is option 1.

Improved sentence: When he saw the bear, he ran to the nearest tree, dropped his gun and climbed to a safe place.Additional Information

"No sooner did he see" is not appropriate as it changes the meaning of the sentence and implies that he ran to the tree immediately upon seeing the bear.
"Hardly he saw the bear" is grammatically incorrect as it should be "Hardly had he seen the bear" to be in the correct past tense.