Complete this question with the most appropriate of the options lettered A - EThe man who was__________ to have died, was seen strolling about.

Analyze the question

The sentence says a man "was ___ to have died, was seen strolling about." The man turned out to be alive, so the missing word must describe a claim that was not certain or was untrue.

Explain the concept

Some verbs express confirmed or official facts: certified, confirmed, declared, announced. These imply the statement is true or authoritative. If a man was officially certified or confirmed dead, seeing him strolling about would be a contradiction, not a surprise.

Rumored means "spread by hearsay, not verified." It fits a situation where people said he had died, but it was not true.

Step-by-step solution

1. A: "announced to have died" implies an official statement of death. It is possible, but it is a formal claim and sounds odd with someone later seen alive.
2. B: "certified to have died" means a doctor or authority formally verified the death. Not suitable.
3. C: "confirmed to have died" means the death was proven. Not suitable.
4. D: "declared to have died" is a formal pronouncement. It is similar to B and C, and also not suitable.
5. E: "rumored to have died" means it was only hearsay, so it is natural that the man was later seen walking around alive.

Answer

The most appropriate word is rumored, which is option E.

Tip

When a sentence shows a surprising contrast (said to be dead, but seen alive), look for the word that expresses unverified information, such as rumored, alleged, or reported. Words like certified and confirmed signal certainty and clash with such contrasts.