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Difficulty: MediumPhrasal Verbs and Prepositional Verbs

To prevent severe post-harvest losses, local grain farmers were advised to adopt modern preservation techniques to ________ agricultural spoilage during the humid season.

Which of the following phrasal verbs correctly completes the sentence above?

  1. stave offAnswer
  2. B
    stave in
  3. C
    stave away
  4. D
    stave out

Answer

stave off
The phrasal verb 'stave off' means to avert, ward off, or prevent something undesirable (such as hunger, disease, or spoilage) for a period of time. In the given sentence, it correctly expresses the action of preventing agricultural spoilage.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the context of the sentence
The context requires a verb meaning 'to ward off', 'avert', or 'prevent temporarily' undesirable losses/spoilage.
Understanding context determines the exact semantic function required of the particle.
2
Evaluate the phrasal verb options for correct particle combination and meaning
The phrasal verb 'stave off' standardly means to ward off or avert something harmful or undesirable.
Only the particle 'off' forms the established idiomatic expression with 'stave' to convey prevention/delaying of harm.

Key Concept

Phrasal Verbs and Prepositional Verbs
Estimated Time:1m 0s
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Topics

Phrasal Verbs and Prepositional Verbs

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