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There is a sentence that is missing in the paragraph below. Look at the paragraph and decide where (option 1, 2, 3, or 4) the following sentence would best fit.

Paragraph: ___ (1) ___ Prices are rising at their fastest rate in 40 years, consequently, return-to-office-related costs have shot up - think petrol and food, for instance. ___ (2) ___ . Yet wages haven't kept up with inflation even despite the salary growth many workers have enjoyed during a favorable pandemic labour market. ___ (3) ___ . This is especially jarring for workers who were able to save during remote work, when these expenditures weren't a factor. ___ (4) ___ . In April 2022, Umus, a London university lecturer, told BBC Work life that they were spending nearly a quarter of what they made every day on return-to-work costs.

Sentence: This reality is putting stress on employees who have to pay for transport, desk lunches, more childcare, clothing and that after-work socialisation - costs they haven't incurred for nearly two years.

Solution

✅ Correct Option: 3

Understanding the sentence

The sentence explains HOW rising costs affect employees specifically - mentioning transport, lunches, childcare, clothing, and socializing costs that employees haven't paid for 2 years.


Testing Position 1

This would jump straight into employee costs without first explaining the bigger picture of inflation. This feels too rushed - we need context first.


Testing Position 2

This would interrupt the flow between talking about rising prices and wages not keeping up. The paragraph needs to complete this economic setup before getting specific about employee struggles.


Testing Position 3

Perfect timing! By now we've established that prices are rising fast and wages haven't kept up with inflation. Now it makes sense to explain exactly HOW this affects employees day-to-day. Our sentence bridges the gap between "wages haven't kept up" and the next sentence about workers who saved during remote work.


Testing Position 4

Too late - this would come after the example about the London lecturer, which would make the paragraph feel backwards.


Why Position 3 works best

It creates a logical flow: General economic problem, then wage problem, then specific employee costs, then contrast with remote work savings, then real example. The sentence fits perfectly in Position 3 because it explains the practical impact of the wage-inflation gap on employees before contrasting it with their remote work savings.


Answer: Option 3

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