Examkin

Question

Difficulty: MediumIdiomatic Prepositions

Read the sentence below and answer the question that follows.

During their annual migration across the desert region, desert tortoises are remarkably attuned with subtle shifts in atmospheric pressure, allowing them to seek shelter hours before a flash flood begins.

Which of the following alternatives to the underlined portion is idiomatically correct in standard written English?

  1. A
    NO CHANGE
  2. attuned toAnswer
  3. C
    attuned for
  4. D
    attuned toward

Answer

attuned to
The phrase 'attuned to' is the correct idiomatic expression. In standard English, the adjective 'attuned' takes the preposition 'to' when describing awareness of or responsiveness to an external condition or environmental stimulus.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify the underlined modifier and prepositional structure in the sentence.
The sentence uses the adjective-preposition combination 'attuned with'.
Standard written English requires specific fixed prepositions following certain adjectives.
2
Evaluate standard idiomatic usage for the adjective 'attuned'.
In standard English conventions, 'attuned' correctly pairs with the preposition 'to'.
The idiom 'attuned to' means being in harmony with or sensitive to a particular phenomenon or stimulus.
3
Select the option that replaces the unidiomatic phrasing with the correct preposition.
The option featuring 'attuned to' provides the grammatically and idiomatically sound correction.
Prepositions like 'with', 'for', and 'toward' create unidiomatic phrasing with 'attuned'.

Key Concept

Idiomatic Preposition Pairs (Adjective + Preposition)
Estimated Time:45s
Rate this question

Topics

Idiomatic Prepositions

More questions from this topic