Which past-tense verb means intentionally telling a falsehood?

• A. Lied
• B. Told
• C. Spoke
• D. Admitted

Answer: (A)

This question tests knowing a past-tense verb that means intentionally telling a falsehood. The best choice is lied, the past tense of lie used as a verb to describe making a statement you know is false in order to deceive someone. That intentional deception is exactly what a lie conveys. The other verbs describe different ideas: to tell simply means to convey information, not necessarily false or dishonest; to speak is just the act of talking without implying truth or deception; to admit means acknowledging something as true, which is the opposite of lying. For example, “She lied about her whereabouts” shows deliberate deception, whereas “She told her whereabouts” or “She spoke about her whereabouts” don’t imply falsehood, and “She admitted her whereabouts” means she acknowledged the truth.