In each of the following questions, choose the option that best completes the gap(s). The ____ of armed robbery has been on the increase.

This question tests the ability to distinguish between four similar-sounding but different words. The sentence "The ______ of armed robbery has been on the increase" calls for a word that means the rate or frequency of occurrence.

The correct word is incidence, which refers to how frequently something happens within a population or area. "The incidence of armed robbery has been on the increase" means that armed robbery is occurring more and more frequently.

The other options have distinct meanings:

• Accidence is a technical term in grammar referring to the part of language study that deals with inflections (changes in word forms). It has nothing to do with crime.
• Accident means an unplanned, unfortunate event, typically one causing injury or damage. Armed robbery is deliberate, not accidental.
• Incident refers to a single event or occurrence. While each armed robbery is an incident, the sentence discusses the overall rate of occurrence ("on the increase"), which is what "incidence" captures.