Until Iran came along, India had never been _________ in kabaddi.
Correct Answer
Solution & Step-by-step Explanation
This question focuses on India's historical performance in the sport of kabaddi, specifically referencing the period before Iran became a significant competitor. We need to find the correct word to complete the sentence: "Until Iran came along, India had never been _________ in kabaddi."
Grammatical Structure Analysis
The sentence structure "India had never been _______" requires a past participle form of a verb to describe India's state or condition regarding matches. Let's examine the options:
Analyzing the Options
- Option 1: defeated 'Defeated' is the past participle of the verb 'to defeat'. The phrase "never been defeated" means that India had never lost a match. This fits grammatically and contextually, indicating India's historical dominance before facing strong competition from Iran.
- Option 2: defeating 'Defeating' is the present participle. The structure "never been defeating" would imply India was never actively winning, which is the opposite of the intended meaning and grammatically awkward in this context.
- Option 3: defeat 'Defeat' is the base form of the verb or a noun. Using it as "never been defeat" is grammatically incorrect. You cannot say someone "has been defeat".
- Option 4: defeatist 'Defeatist' is an adjective describing someone who is likely to lose or accept defeat. The sentence "never been defeatist" would mean India never had a tendency to lose, which, while potentially true, doesn't fit the direct context of match outcomes as well as 'defeated' and is grammatically unlikely in standard phrasing like this. The sentence structure implies a passive state resulting from a match, not an attitude.
Conclusion on India's Kabaddi Performance
Based on the grammatical structure and the historical context of kabaddi, where India was dominant for a long time before facing strong teams like Iran, the word 'defeated' is the most appropriate. The sentence correctly states that India had never experienced defeat (i.e., never been defeated) prior to Iran's rise in the sport.
Final Answer Selection
The correct choice that completes the sentence accurately is the past participle 'defeated'.
Option 1: defeated