Fill in the blanks with the most appropriate option:The English ______ of sports and _______ themselves as good sportsmen. A. are fond/regard B. is fond/regards C. were fond/regards D. was fond/regards

are fond/regard
is fond/regards
were fond/regards
was fond/regards

The correct answer is: The English are fond of sports and regard themselves as good sportsmen.

The verb “to be fond of” means to like or enjoy something. The verb “to regard” means to consider or think of someone or something in a particular way. In this case, the English are fond of sports, which means they like and enjoy them. They also regard themselves as good sportsmen, which means they think of themselves as being good at sports.

The other options are incorrect because they do not make sense in the context of the sentence. The verb “to be” is not conjugated correctly in option B. The verb “to regard” is not conjugated correctly in option C. The verb “to be” is not conjugated correctly in option D.

In addition, option A is the most likely answer because it is the most common way to express this idea. The English are known for their love of sports, and they often regard themselves as being good at them.