Choose the most appropriate meaning/phrasal verb/word/verb for the sentence.

The teacher read the riot act to the noisy class.

Question

Choose the most appropriate meaning/phrasal verb/word/verb for the sentence. She knew she had to toe the line or face consequences.

Option 1: Draw attention

Option 2: Take a break

Option 3: Break the rule

Option 4: Follow the rules strictly

AfterBoards · Accepted Answer

**"Toe the line"** is an idiom that means **to follow the rules strictly** and behave exactly as expected. Picture standing with your toes right on a line — you are being very careful and doing exactly what is required. In the sentence, *"She knew she had to toe the line **or** face consequences,"* the word "or" tells us: do this thing, **otherwise** you'll be punished. So "toe the line" must mean doing the right thing — following the rules. This matches **Option 4: Follow the rules strictly**. ✅ Let's quickly confirm by checking the other options: - **Option 1: Draw attention** → Means to make people notice something. Unrelated. ❌ - **Option 2: Take a break** → Means to rest or pause. Unrelated. ❌ - **Option 3: Break the rule** → This is the **opposite** of "toe the line." Breaking rules leads to consequences, but the sentence says toeing the line **avoids** consequences. ❌ Hence, **Option 4: Follow the rules strictly** is correct.

BMSAT Kozhikode (VA) PYQs

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