Complete the sentence: Modern people live busy lives, and making the perfect cup of tea properly is _________ important than making it easily and conveniently.

Complete the sentence: Modern people live busy lives, and making the perfect cup of tea properly is _________ important than making it easily and conveniently.

• A. Less
• B. More
• C. As
• D. So

Answer: (A)

The sentence uses a comparison of importance to show that in a busy life, convenience takes priority over perfection. The word that fits is less, forming the natural phrase is less important than, which means that making the tea perfectly is not as important as making it easily and conveniently. Why the others don’t fit: more would invert the meaning, suggesting perfection is more important than ease. as would require is as important as, indicating equality rather than a difference in importance. so can’t follow this structure; it doesn’t form a correct comparative phrase with than.

The sentence uses a comparison of importance to show that in a busy life, convenience takes priority over perfection. The word that fits is less, forming the natural phrase is less important than, which means that making the tea perfectly is not as important as making it easily and conveniently.

Why the others don’t fit: more would invert the meaning, suggesting perfection is more important than ease. as would require is as important as, indicating equality rather than a difference in importance. so can’t follow this structure; it doesn’t form a correct comparative phrase with than.