Choose the most suitable option to replace the highlighted part of the sentence. If the sentence is already correct, select ‘No substitution required’. In spite the severe cold, they continued the expedition.

Explanation

The correct option is (b). Explanation: The phrase “in spite” must be followed by “of” when it is used before a noun or a noun phrase. Therefore, “In spite the severe cold” is grammatically incorrect because it omits “of”. The correct alternatives are either “in spite of the severe cold” or “despite the severe cold”. Since the highlighted portion is “In spite the”, the best substitution is “Despite the”, which makes the sentence correct and concise. Grammatical rule used: “In spite of” and “despite” are used to show contrast (concession). “In spite” requires “of” before a noun/pronoun, but “despite” is directly followed by a noun/pronoun without “of”. Example: Despite the heavy rain, the match continued. Information booster: Avoid using “despite of” in standard English. Although it is sometimes heard in informal usage, the correct forms are “despite” or “in spite of”. So the correct answer is (b)