Question

Difficulty: MediumAdjectives, Adverbs, and Modifiers

Complete the sentence below by filling in the blank with the grammatically appropriate modifier.

Answer:Although the parliamentary committee debated the proposed budget 【late】 into the night, they failed to reach a consensus before adjournment.

Answer

late
The word 'late' functions as an adverb meaning far advanced in time. When describing an event extending deep into a night or time period, 'late' is the correct modifier. Conversely, 'lately' means 'recently', which creates an ungrammatical construction in this context.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the syntactic function required in the blank space.
The blank modifies the verb 'debated' alongside the prepositional phrase 'into the night', requiring an adverb indicating temporal extent.
The sentence describes how far into the night the discussion proceeded.
2
Distinguish between the adverbs 'late' and 'lately'.
'Late' serves as an adverb meaning far advanced in time or near the end of a period, whereas 'lately' means 'recently' or 'of late'.
Combining 'lately' with 'into the night' is grammatically incorrect and semantically invalid.

Key Concept

Adverbial distinction between 'late' (far into a time period) and 'lately' (recently)
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