This question tests your understanding of verb forms used to modify nouns, specifically in passive constructions.

The sentence "He's the second man _____ in this way" requires us to describe what happened to the man. The key clues are:

Step 1: Identify the subject and context - "the second man" is receiving the action (being stabbed), not performing it.

Step 2: Recognize the passive voice requirement - Since the man is receiving the action, we need a passive construction ("to be stabbed" rather than "to stab").

Step 3: Analyze the pattern - After ordinal numbers like "first," "second," "third," we typically use the infinitive form to describe the action that occurred.

Step 4: Compare the options:

• "to be stabbed" - Correct (passive infinitive)
• "stabbing" - Incorrect (active meaning)
• "to stab" - Incorrect (active infinitive)
• "having stabbed" - Incorrect (active perfect participle)

Final Answer: The most appropriate word is "to be stabbed" because it correctly uses the passive infinitive form after an ordinal number to show the man received the action.

Related Topics

Passive Voice: Used when the subject receives the action rather than performs it. Structure: form of "be" + past participle.

Infinitives: The base form of a verb preceded by "to." Used after certain adjectives, nouns, and ordinal numbers.

Participles: Verb forms that function as adjectives. Present participles (-ing) show active meaning, while past participles (-ed/en) often show passive meaning.

Key Formulae/Patterns

Ordinal number + noun + passive infinitive

Example: "the first person to be elected," "the last patient to be treated"