Should be based purely

[Terminator]

Test No. incompl/advan-60 "Working Well", question 5

The decision was finally taken that appointments should be based purely and simply on ..........

(a) marvel
(b) mandate
(c) merit
(d) mastery

Test No. incompl/advan-60 "Working Well", answer 5

The decision was finally taken that appointments should be based purely and simply on merit.

Correct answer: (c) merit

Hi everybody, I don' t understand: "should be based purely".
Many thanks for your help
Terminator :evil:

[Torsten]

Hi Terminator,

The sentence reads: 'The decision was finally taken that appointments should be based purely and simply on merit.'

This means that only people who have the appropriate skills and abilities should be promoted.

Maybe, Alan will give you another explanation with more examples.

TOEIC listening, photographs: Worker at a building site

[Alan]

Hi Terminator,

Just to add to what Torsten has already written - purely and simply means 'exclusively', 'only', 'just that' and 'nothing else but'.

Let me give you an example. The reason why he stayed in the job he didn't really like was PURELY AND SIMPLY because he needed the money. In other words that was the ONLY reason why he stayed.

Another example using 'based'. Her decision to leave her job was BASED PURELY AND SIMPLY on the low pay. In other words the reason at the base/bottom of her decision was only the low pay.

Hope this will help

Alan
_________________
English as a Second Language
You can read my ESL story Present Simple

[Terminator]

Hi Alan and Torsten, many thanks. It helped me.
Terminator :evil:

[Vietanhpham_Winter]

You can say based completely on instead of it.
_________________
Nothing's impossible! Never say never! They're what I've been following. Hope you to follow them too!