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Question

Difficulty: MediumPrepositions and Prepositional Phrases

The committee reported that the manager's actions were detrimental _____ the company's reputation and carried out in direct opposition _____ the board's standing instructions. Which pair of prepositions correctly completes the sentence?

  1. to / toAnswer
  2. B
    for / against
  3. C
    with / of
  4. D
    on / with

Answer

The correct pair of prepositions is 'to / to'.
The correct answer utilizes 'to / to' because the adjective 'detrimental' takes the dependent preposition 'to', and the idiomatic complex prepositional phrase is 'in direct opposition to'.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify the dependent preposition required by the adjective 'detrimental'.
The adjective 'detrimental' idiomatically governs the preposition 'to' (e.g., 'detrimental to health/reputation').
Adjectives indicating harm or benefit typically take 'to' rather than 'for' or 'on'.
2
Determine the correct preposition completing the phrase 'in direct opposition _____'.
The fixed prepositional phrase is 'in direct opposition to'.
The noun phrase 'in opposition' requires the complement preposition 'to' when introducing the object being opposed.

Key Concept

Dependent Prepositions and Fixed Prepositional Phrases
Estimated Time:1m 0s
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Topics

Prepositions and Prepositional Phrases

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