In the sentences, certain words are in bold and numbered from A to H, which are the possible pairs to be interchanged. Choose the pair(s) of words that need(s) to be interchanged to make the sentence grammatically correct and meaningful.

a. Language helped them articulate (A) explicitly (B) what was earlier somewhat vague (C) and inchoate (D).

b. The State government’s attempt (E) to justify its action smacked (F) of perversity (G) and malice (H).