Examkin

Question

Difficulty: MediumPrepositions and Prepositional Phrases

The testimony provided by the key witness was completely at variance _____ the official report presented by the police department. Which of the following prepositions correctly completes the sentence?

  1. withAnswer
  2. B
    to
  3. C
    from
  4. D
    against

Answer

The preposition 'with' is the correct choice because 'at variance with' is a standard fixed prepositional phrase in English.
The correct answer utilizes 'with' because 'at variance with' is a standard, fixed prepositional phrase meaning to be inconsistent, contradictory, or in conflict with a fact or statement.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify the multi-word prepositional structure in the sentence.
The core phrase is 'at variance _____'.
English requires specific complement prepositions following fixed nominal phrases like 'at variance'.
2
Determine the standard collocated preposition required by 'at variance'.
The correct complement preposition is 'with'.
'At variance with' is an established idiomatic unit meaning inconsistent or in conflict with.

Key Concept

Fixed Prepositional Phrases and Idiomatic Collocations
Rate this question

Topics

Prepositions and Prepositional Phrases

More questions from this topic