Choose the most appropriate word or phrase from the options given below to complete the following sentence: The environmentalists hope ________ the lake to its pristine condition. A. in restoring B. in the restoration of C. to restore D. restoring

GATE 2011 · General Aptitude · Most Appropriate Word · medium

Answer: C. to restore

1. Recall the grammar rule for 'hope': In standard English, 'hope' used to express a desire/intention about a future action takes the to-infinitive: subject + hope + to + base verb. For example: 'We hope to succeed.'
2. Eliminate incorrect options: A. 'in restoring' — prepositional gerund phrase; grammatically wrong after 'hope'. B. 'in the restoration of' — prepositional noun phrase; awkward and wrong. D. 'restoring' — bare gerund; 'hope' does not take a gerund. C. 'to restore' — correct to-infinitive. Answer: C.