In the following question, choose the option that best completes the sentence. The guest would have arrived earlier but he was _______ in traffic.

Step 1: Analyze the question The sentence says the guest would have arrived earlier, but something in traffic delayed him. We need a phrasal verb that means "delayed" or "obstructed."

Step 2: Explain the concept This question tests phrasal verbs, where the preposition or particle changes the meaning of the verb "hold":

• held down: kept under control, or kept a job ("He held down a job for years")
• held up: delayed or obstructed ("The flight was held up by bad weather"). It can also mean robbed at gunpoint.
• held about: not a standard English phrasal verb
• held off: delayed doing something, or kept an enemy away ("The rain held off")

Step 3: Solve step by step

1. The guest was late, so the meaning must be "delayed."
2. "Held down" does not mean delayed in traffic.
3. "Held about" is not idiomatic English.
4. "Held off" means postponed or kept at a distance, which does not fit "in traffic."
5. "Held up" is the standard expression for being delayed by traffic: "He was held up in traffic."

Step 4: Answer The correct answer is B. held up.

Step 5: Exam tip In Nigeria, "hold-up" is a familiar word for the traffic jams in Lagos, so remember: "Traffic holds you UP." Whenever a question mentions being delayed by traffic, weather, or an obstacle, think "held up."