Something must be wrong with the school driver, he is … today.

Analyze the question: The sentence needs a correct word order in the present continuous tense: "he is __ today." We must place the verb (driving), the adverb of degree (rather), and the adverb of manner (carelessly) correctly.

Concept: In the continuous tense, the main verb (-ing form) normally comes right after "is." The adverb of manner ("carelessly") describes how the action is done, and it is modified by the intensifier ("rather"). So the intensifier comes directly before the adverb it modifies: rather carelessly. The adverb phrase then follows the verb: driving rather carelessly.

Step-by-step:

1. Start with "he is" and the main verb: "he is driving."
2. The adverb "carelessly" tells us how he is driving.
3. "Rather" is an intensifier modifying "carelessly," so it must sit right before it: "rather carelessly."
4. Result: "he is driving rather carelessly today."

Checking the options:

• A. rather driving carelessly: "rather" wrongly modifies the verb, and the order is awkward.
• B. carelessly driving rather: "rather" is left dangling at the end.
• C. driving rather carelessly: correct and natural.
• D. rather carelessly driving: the adverb phrase comes before the verb, which sounds unnatural in this context.

Tip: Remember the pattern verb + intensifier + adverb (e.g., "She is speaking very softly," "He is walking quite slowly"). The intensifier always stays attached to the adverb it strengthens.