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Difficulty: MediumIdiomatic Prepositions

Read the sentence below:

During an investigation into spatial memory consolidation, cognitive neuroscientists observed that chronic sleep restriction was particularly detrimental for a subject's ability to navigate novel virtual environments.

Which of the following choices produces a grammatically correct and idiomatically appropriate sentence?

  1. A
    NO CHANGE
  2. detrimental toAnswer
  3. C
    detrimental with
  4. D
    detrimental on

Answer

Replacing the underlined phrase with 'detrimental to' establishes correct idiomatic preposition usage in standard written English.
In standard written English, the adjective 'detrimental' idiomatically pairs with the preposition 'to' (e.g., 'detrimental to health' or 'detrimental to performance'). Therefore, substituting 'detrimental to' produces a grammatically and idiomatically correct sentence.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify the head adjective and its accompanying preposition in the underlined segment.
The target word is the adjective 'detrimental' paired with the preposition 'for'.
Prepositional idiom rules depend on fixed conventions governing which preposition pairs with a specific adjective.
2
Evaluate standard English idiomatic conventions for the adjective 'detrimental'.
Standard English requires 'detrimental to' rather than 'detrimental for', 'detrimental with', or 'detrimental on'.
Certain adjectives mandate specific prepositional complements to convey directional or relational impact correctly.
3
Select the option that correctly substitutes 'detrimental to'.
The option offering 'detrimental to' resolves the idiomatic usage error.
This substitution satisfies standard conventions of written English required on the ACT.

Key Concept

Idiomatic Preposition Usage with Adjectives
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Topics

Idiomatic Prepositions

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