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Verbal Ability/Word-usage 1 / 50

Choose the option in which the usage of the word is incorrect or inappropriate: line

A. The committee's recommendations are precisely in line with the objectives outlined in the mission statement.
B. To comprehend the complete message, one must learn to read between the lines of the official announcement.
C. The new recruits were reminded that they must toe the line regarding established protocols and procedures.
D. The unprecedented financial scandal effectively put the entire company's future on line, jeopardizing thousands of jobs.

The incorrect or inappropriate usage of the word "line" is in the fourth option: "The unprecedented financial scandal effectively put the entire company's future on line, jeopardizing thousands of jobs."
Why it's wrong:
The standard idiomatic expression is "on the line," meaning at risk or in a precarious situation. The article "the" is essential for this idiom. Without it, "on line" typically refers to being connected to the internet or a network, or waiting in a queue, which is not the intended meaning here.
Corrected sentence: "The unprecedented financial scandal effectively put the entire company's future on the line, jeopardizing thousands of jobs."

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