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Difficulty: Very hardIdiomatic Prepositions

Though the research team hoped to discover a diverse array of cave-dwelling insects, they soon realized that the subterranean cavern's high sulfur concentrations made the environment inimical toward the survival of all but the most specialized organisms. Which choice best replaces the underlined portion?

  1. A
    NO CHANGE
  2. inimical toAnswer
  3. C
    inimical for
  4. D
    inimical of

Answer

The correct choice is 'inimical to', which uses the proper idiomatic preposition to follow the adjective 'inimical'.
The word 'inimical' is an adjective that must be followed by the preposition 'to' to form a correct, standard idiom in English. The option containing 'inimical to' is therefore correct because it respects this conventional pairing.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify the underlined phrase and the adjective that dictates the idiomatic preposition.
The adjective is 'inimical', which means harmful, hostile, or adverse.
Prepositional idioms are determined by the specific words they follow.
2
Determine the correct preposition that pairs with 'inimical' in standard written English.
The correct idiomatic preposition is 'to' (yielding 'inimical to').
English grammar rules dictate specific pairings for certain adjectives; 'inimical' must be followed by 'to' rather than 'toward', 'for', or 'of'.
3
Select the option that matches this correct idiomatic usage.
The correct choice is 'inimical to'.
This is the only choice that resolves the error and uses the correct preposition.

Key Concept

Idiomatic prepositions following adjectives
Estimated Time:45s
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Topics

Idiomatic Prepositions

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