What does the use of the term “active internet users” convey ? (A) Active people who use internet (B) Active people who use active internet (C) People who use active internet (D) People who use internet actively
What does the use of the term “active internet users” convey ? (A) Active people who use internet (B) Active people who use active internet (C) People who use active internet (D) People who use internet actively
Options
(D) People who use internet actively — because active here describes the manner of usage (regular/frequent), not the internet or the people's general nature.
Marking Scheme
- 11 mark for selecting option (D) 'People who use internet actively' — no partial marks in MCQ.
Hint
Ask: does 'active' describe the PEOPLE, the INTERNET, or the WAY they USE it? The term measures engagement/frequency of use.
Quick Oral Answer
'Active internet users' means people who use the internet actively, i.e., regularly and frequently — the word 'active' modifies the manner of use, not the people themselves.
Analysis & Explanation
Tests careful reading of a compound phrase where the same three words are rearranged to trap students.
Concept
- "Active internet users" — the adjective active modifies HOW the users behave, not the internet itself and not the users' general personality.
- Internet cannot be "active/inactive"; only usage behaviour can be.
Key points
- Option (D) correctly reframes the phrase as people who use the internet actively — i.e., regularly/frequently, a measurable category distinct from total registered users.
- Options (B) and (C) wrongly make "internet" the thing that is active.
- Option (A) wrongly makes "people" (not their usage) active.
Common mistakes
- Students often pick (A) because active is the first word encountered and gets attached to "people" instead of to the verb use.
Common Mistakes
- 1Selecting (A) by wrongly assuming 'active' describes the personality/nature of the people rather than their internet usage behaviour.
- 2Selecting (B) or (C), which illogically treat 'internet' itself as being 'active', a category error since active/inactive describes usage frequency, not the medium.
Interesting Facts
Digital industry reports typically define 'active internet users' as those who have used the internet at least once in the last 30 days, distinguishing them from 'total internet subscribers' who may not use their connection regularly.
India's active internet user base has been reported by IAMAI-Kantar ICUBE studies to have crossed over 750 million users in recent years, making it one of the largest active online populations globally.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Why is (A) wrong if 'active' comes right before 'people' is implied?
Because in the original phrase 'active' is placed before 'internet users' as a unit, modifying the users' behaviour (how they use the internet), not describing the people's general character.
Is this a vocabulary question or a grammar question?
It is primarily a grammar/semantics question about which word an adjective logically modifies within a compound noun phrase.