The most appropriate word to complete the sentence is:
2. respectfully
The completed sentence would read:
"The official answered respectfully that the complaints of the citizen would be looked into."
This choice is correct because:
1. "Respectfully" means in a polite, courteous manner, which is appropriate for an official addressing a citizen's concerns.
2. "Respectably" means in a respectable manner, which is typically used to describe actions or behavior rather than speech, and doesn't quite fit the context of responding to a complaint.
3. "Reputably" means with a good reputation, which isn't relevant to how someone answers a question.
4. "Respectively" means in the order mentioned, which doesn't make sense in this sentence.
"Respectfully" best conveys the appropriate tone and manner for an official responding to a citizen's complaints.
**from the information given by Claude AI as it is or edited.
