In the sentence 'The committee adjourned the meeting', what does ADJOURNED mean?
ASuspendedCORRECT
BStarted
CArgued in
DRecorded
AI
Toaster Teacher
Why the answer is A, and why the others tempt you.
**The reasoning**
"Adjourn" means to **temporarily stop or suspend** a meeting with the intention of resuming it later. Think of it like pressing "pause" on a video — the meeting isn't cancelled or ended forever, it's just halted for now. When a committee adjourns a meeting, they're saying "Let's stop here and continue another time." So the correct answer is **A) Suspended** because both words mean a temporary halt.
**Why the wrong options tempt you**
**B) Started** — This is the opposite! Some students might confuse "adjourned" with "convened" (which means to start/gather).
**C) Argued in** — The formal sound of "adjourned" might make you think it relates to debate, but it's about stopping, not discussing.
**D) Recorded** — Another formal-sounding word, but recording is about documenting, not pausing.
**Quick takeaway**
Remember: **"Adjourn = A-journey away from the meeting"** — you're temporarily leaving, not ending permanently. When you see "adjourn," think "pause button," not "stop button."
Want this in Pidgin, Yoruba, Igbo or Hausa? Sign up free →
Practice more Reading questions
IELTS Reading has thousands more questions like this — with Worked answers on every one.