Verbal Ability/Word-usage Practice

Verbal Ability/Word-usage 6 / 50

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

A. The committee decided to head off the potential crisis by implementing several proactive measures.
B. She is known for keeping a cool head even in the most stressful and demanding situations.
C. The project's difficulties finally came to an head when critical funding was unexpectedly withdrawn.
D. Despite the intricate details, the historian admitted he could make neither head nor tail of the ancient manuscript's cryptic symbols.

The incorrect or inappropriate usage of the word "head" is in the third option: "The project's difficulties finally came to an head when critical funding was unexpectedly withdrawn."
Why it's wrong:
The standard idiomatic expression is "come to a head," meaning to reach a crisis or a decisive point. The indefinite article "an" is incorrectly used before the word "head," which begins with a consonant sound, not a vowel sound. The correct article to use is "a."
Correct usage: "The project's difficulties finally came to a head when critical funding was unexpectedly withdrawn."

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