In the question below choose the word(s) or phrase(s) which best fill(s) the gap(s):
When the driver lost control of his vehicle, the pedestrian began to run for ....
their dear lives
their dear life
dears lives
dear life
Explanation
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Discussions (15)
For dear life, not for your dear life
While you run for your life, you run for dear life – not for your dear life. In other words, 'for dear life' does not need 'your' before 'dear'. This is important because it is a fixed expression.
The answer D is correct
For dear life, not for your dear life
While you run for your life, you run for dear life – not for your dear life. In other words, ‘for dear life’ does not need ‘your’ before ‘dear’. This is important because it is a fixed expression. Several idioms are like that. You need to exercise caution before embellishing their structures. Examples are ‘raise the alarm’ (the alarm) and every nook and cranny (not really all nooks and crannies).
Consider these:
He had to run for his dear life when he saw a mad man brandishing a cutlass. (Wrong)
He had to run for dear life when he saw a mad man brandishing a cutlss. (Correct)
Remi ran for her dear life when she heard a bang. (Wrong)
Remi ran for dear life when she heard a bang. (Correct)
For dear life, not for dear lives
If the answer was 'for their dear lives', then the question would've been pedestrians not pedestrian
Key point:
Even when one person is running to save themselves, the English idiom is always:
➡️ “run for dear life” (not “dear lives”)
Why?
“Dear life” is a fixed expression meaning “to survive.” It doesn’t change whether it’s one person or many.
So the correct option is the one that keeps the idiom intact and matches the singular subject (the pedestrian).
Options:
A. their dear lives ❌ (wrong idiom + plural)
B. their dear life ❌ (wrong pronoun for “the pedestrian”)
C. dears lives ❌ (not English)
D. dear life ✔️ (correct idiom)
Option A is wrong. You claim to have corrected it. Apparently, you have not. Fix up, please.
no corrections av been made yet, it still says dear life...pls kindly correct it
there is no such words as"dear lives" or "their dear life/lives".
It should neva b pluralisd hence answer is"dear life"
......the pedestrian began to run for *their dear lives* which makes option A the correct answer
Students are using this app with the hope of passing jamb with flying colors, how are we supposed to achieve that if wrong answers are being posted as correct answers? Please do something about this because I've started doubting the credibility of this app.
