In each question below, a word is given followed by four sentences. Identify which of the sentences use the given word correctly in terms of both grammar and context. Word: USHER 1. The landmark Supreme Court verdict was widely expected to usher in a new era of corporate accountability, compelling listed entities to adopt transparent governance frameworks that had long been resisted by entrenched management interests. 2. The elderly diplomat, having served as usher to three consecutive heads of state, possessed an institutional memory that no written record could adequately replicate. 3. The treasury’s decision to usher the new taxation framework through Parliament during a recess period drew sharp criticism from opposition legislators who argued that meaningful public consultation had been deliberately bypassed. 4. The geologist’s report ushered considerable alarm among coastal planners, confirming that the rate of land subsidence beneath the city’s financial district had accelerated beyond previously modelled projections.

Sentence 1 uses usher correctly. “Usher in” is an established phrasal verb meaning to mark the beginning of something new or to introduce a new phase — here used correctly to describe a verdict initiating a new era of corporate accountability.  Sentence 2 uses usher correctly as a noun — an usher is a person who escorts or guides others in a formal or official capacity. The sentence correctly uses “usher” as a professional title for someone who served senior officials.  Sentence 3 uses usher correctly. “Usher through” means to guide or steer something — typically legislation or policy — to passage or completion. The sentence correctly describes steering a framework through Parliament.  Sentence 4 uses usher incorrectly. “Ushered considerable alarm” is not an established usage of the word. Usher requires a direct object that is a thing being introduced, guided, or initiated — typically an era, person, or process. “Alarm” is an emotional state or response, not something that can be ushered in the transitive sense used here. The grammatically and contextually correct verb here would be “generated” or “prompted.”  Hence (C) Only 1, 2 and 3 is the correct answer.