The police man tried to … money from the motorist.

Analyze the question: We need the word that best fits "The policeman tried to ..... money from the motorist." The sentence describes a police officer trying to get money from a driver, most likely by unfair or illegal means.

Explain the concepts (meanings of each word):

• Exert means to apply effort, force or influence (e.g., exert pressure, exert yourself). It does not take "money from someone."
• Extort means to obtain money or something else from a person by force, threats or intimidation, or by abusing one's position. This is the usual word for corrupt officials demanding money.
• Exact means to demand and obtain something (e.g., exact revenge, exact payment). It can take money as an object, but it usually suggests a rightful or formal demand, such as a penalty, and it is less natural here.
• Extract means to pull out physically (e.g., extract a tooth, extract oil) or to obtain with difficulty (extract a confession). It is not the typical word for money obtained by a corrupt official.

Solution: The structure is "extort + something + from + someone." A policeman demanding money from a motorist is the classic example of extortion.

Answer: B. extort

Tip: Link extort with extortion, the crime of forcing money out of people. Whenever you see corrupt officials, threats, or illegal demands for money in a sentence, choose extort. Also remember: exert goes with effort or pressure, extract goes with pulling something out, and exact goes with revenge, penalty or payment.