Only a person could believe her tale.
credulous
credible
The correct answer and explanation is:
The correct answer is: credulous.
Explanation (Approx. 300 words):
The sentence is:
“Only a person could believe her tale.”
You’re given the two options: credulous and credible.
To choose the correct one, we need to understand the meanings of both words and the structure of the sentence.
Definitions:
- Credulous (adjective): Describes someone who is too ready to believe things; gullible.
Example: The scam worked because the victim was credulous. - Credible (adjective): Describes something that is believable or convincing.
Example: She gave a credible explanation for her absence.
Sentence Analysis:
Let’s plug both into the sentence and see which fits:
- “Only a credulous person could believe her tale.”
✔ This makes sense. It implies the tale is hard to believe, and only someone who is overly trusting (credulous) would fall for it. - “Only a credible person could believe her tale.”
✘ This doesn’t make sense. A credible person is someone others believe, not someone who believes things easily. Also, it would be illogical to suggest that only someone trustworthy could believe a story that’s presumably unbelievable.
So, credulous is the right choice because the sentence implies that the tale is unbelievable, and only someone who is too quick to believe things would accept it as true.
Summary:
- Credulous = easily fooled, believes things readily.
- Credible = believable, trustworthy.
In the sentence, we are talking about the type of person who could believe an unlikely tale. That’s someone credulous, not someone credible.
✅ Correct sentence: “Only a credulous person could believe her tale.”