Q.1 The chairman requested the aggrieved shareholders to _________________ him.
(A) bare with (B) bore with (C) bear with (D) bare
Mastering English Idioms: “Bear With Me” vs. Common Confusions
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Introduction to the Idiom Puzzle
In competitive exams like SSC CGL, IBPS, or English proficiency tests, idiom-based fill-in-the-blanks test your grasp of phrasal verbs and homophones. Consider this question: “The chairman requested the aggrieved shareholders to _________________ him.”
Options:
(A) bare with
(B) bore with
(C) bear with
(D) bare
The correct answer is (C) bear with. This phrase means “to be patient or tolerant with someone,” perfectly fitting a chairman asking upset shareholders for understanding during a meeting. Searches for “chairman requested aggrieved shareholders to bear with him” spike during exam seasons, making this a high-value grammar topic.
Why “Bear With” is the Right Choice
“Bear with” originates from “bear” meaning to endure or tolerate, as in carrying a burden. In polite requests, it’s shorthand for “please tolerate my delay” or “have patience with me.”
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Full sentence: The chairman requested the aggrieved shareholders to bear with him.
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Usage example: “Please bear with me while I explain the financial updates.”
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Why it fits: Aggrieved (meaning distressed) shareholders need reassurance, so “bear with” conveys patience-seeking.
This idiom appears frequently in business English, corporate communications, and formal speeches. Mastering it boosts scores in cloze tests and sentence correction sections.
Detailed Breakdown of All Options
Understanding wrong choices prevents common pitfalls. Here’s a clear comparison:
| Option | Meaning/Usage | Why It’s Wrong Here |
|---|---|---|
| (A) bare with | “Bare” means naked or expose (e.g., “bare your soul”). No standard idiom “bare with.” | Grammatically incorrect; sounds like “be naked with me,” which is absurd in context. |
| (B) bore with | “Bore” means to drill or make someone bored (e.g., “don’t bore me”). “Bore with” isn’t idiomatic for patience. | Implies causing boredom, opposite of requesting tolerance – illogical for a chairman. |
| (C) bear with ✓ | “Bear” means endure/tolerate. Standard idiom: “bear with me/us/him.” | Perfect match: polite plea for patience amid shareholder grievances. |
| (D) bare | Verb/noun for uncover or minimal (e.g., “bare facts”). Not a phrasal verb with “him.” | Incomplete and irrelevant; lacks preposition, changes sentence structure entirely. |
Homophones like “bear/bare/bore” trip up 70% of test-takers, per exam analysis. Always check context: patience = “bear with.”
Pro Tips for Exams and Daily English
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Mnemonic: “Bear” like a heavy load – endure it patiently.
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Synonyms: Put up with, tolerate, hang in there.
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Common errors: Google Trends shows “bare with me” as a top misspelling – avoid it!
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Practice sentence: “Bear with the traffic; we’ll arrive soon.”
For more English idioms for exams, explore resources like Wren & Martin or online quizzes on BYJU’s/Gradeup.
Conclusion: Ace Your Next Test
The key to “chairman requested aggrieved shareholders to bear with him” is recognizing “bear with” as the tolerance idiom. Practice with 10 similar questions daily to score 90%+ in verbal ability.
