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Question

Difficulty: MediumIdiomatic Prepositions

Read the sentence below:

"The lead architectural supervisor insisted that all contractors working on the historical restoration project must strictly comply to the revised structural safety regulations established by the city council."

Which of the following choices best replaces the underlined portion to make the sentence idiomatically and grammatically correct?

  1. A
    NO CHANGE
  2. comply withAnswer
  3. C
    comply for
  4. D
    comply by

Answer

The phrasing 'comply with' correctly establishes the standard idiomatic verb-preposition combination in English.
In standard written English, the verb 'comply' idiomatically requires the preposition 'with' when indicating adherence to commands, rules, or standards. Therefore, 'comply with' is the only grammatically and idiomatically correct selection.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify the base verb and preposition in the underlined portion.
The sentence currently pairs the verb 'comply' with the preposition 'to'.
Prepositional usage in formal English depends on specific fixed idiomatic pairings.
2
Determine the correct idiomatic preposition paired with 'comply'.
The standard English idiom is 'comply with'.
When expressing adherence to rules, guidelines, or mandates, 'comply' is strictly followed by 'with'.

Key Concept

Idiomatic Prepositions (Verb + Preposition Pairings)
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Topics

Idiomatic Prepositions

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