Choose the option that best complete the gap (s) All farmers were encouraged ......carry out fumigation on their farms

Analyze the question: The sentence is "All farmers were encouraged ____ carry out fumigation on their farms." We need the word that correctly completes the structure after "encouraged."

Explain the concept: The verb encourage is followed by an object and then a to-infinitive:

• encourage + someone + to + verb

In the passive voice, this becomes:

• someone + was/were encouraged + to + verb

Examples:

• Students were encouraged to read widely.
• The teacher encouraged us to work hard.

Solution:

• "All farmers were encouraged" is the passive form, so the next word must introduce the action they were encouraged to perform.
• The verb "carry" is in its base form, so it needs "to" before it to make the infinitive "to carry out."
• Testing the other options: • A. in carry out: wrong, because "in" needs a gerund (encouraged in carrying out), not a base verb. • B. with carry out: ungrammatical. • D. from carry out: ungrammatical. "From" would also change the meaning to discouragement. • C. to carry out: correct.

Correct sentence: "All farmers were encouraged to carry out fumigation on their farms."

Exam tip: Many verbs of persuasion or permission follow the pattern verb + object + to + verb: encourage, advise, allow, urge, persuade, force, invite, tell. If you see a base verb after the gap in a question like this, "to" is usually the answer.