Complete the sentence by supplying the appropriate dependent prepositions that correctly complete the prepositional structures.
Answer:Although the defense council argued that the new statutory directive was at variance 【with】 established judicial precedent, the magistrate ruled that the defendant's conduct was entirely inimical 【to】 public interest.
Answer
The first blank requires 'with' to form the fixed prepositional phrase 'at variance with', and the second blank requires 'to' because the adjective 'inimical' takes the dependent preposition 'to'.
The idiomatic expression 'at variance' requires 'with' when indicating inconsistency or conflict with a law or precedent. Meanwhile, the formal adjective 'inimical' collocates exclusively with 'to' when describing something harmful or opposing a particular outcome or interest.
Step-by-Step Solution
Key Concept
Dependent Prepositions and Fixed Prepositional Phrases