From the word lettered A to D, choose the word that best completes each of the following sentences Public money should be used only for ............. purposes.

Analyze the question The sentence is "Public money should be used only for ............. purposes." We need the word that best fits the idea of how public funds ought to be spent. This is a vocabulary-in-context question, and it tests words that look similar in meaning.

Explain the concept Let's look at each option:

• Legitimate: lawful, justified, proper and acceptable. It covers purposes that are genuine, authorized and rightful. It is the usual collocation: "legitimate purposes", "legitimate expenses".
• Discreet: careful and prudent in speech or action, especially in keeping secrets. It describes people or behaviour, not purposes.
• Legal: permitted by law. It is close in meaning, but "legal purposes" suggests purposes relating to law, such as court matters. It also only addresses whether something is allowed by law, not whether it is proper and justified.
• Executive: relating to management or the arm of government that carries out laws. This does not fit.

Solution Public money belongs to the people, so it must be spent on purposes that are justified, proper and authorized. "Legitimate" carries this full meaning. "Legal" is the closest distractor, but "legitimate purposes" is the standard phrase and has the broader sense of rightful and justifiable use.

Answer: A. legitimate

Tip Watch for "legal" versus "legitimate" in the exam:

• Legal means allowed by law.
• Legitimate means rightful, genuine and justified.

When a word is describing a purpose, claim, reason or excuse, "legitimate" is usually the better choice. Also test the common collocation: you often hear "legitimate reason", "legitimate business" and "legitimate expenses".