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Difficulty: HardPhrasal Verbs and Prepositional Verbs

During the political campaign, the controversial candidate attempted to ________ his family's historical prestige to gain unearned public trust despite his complete lack of relevant governance experience.

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

  1. trade onAnswer
  2. B
    trade off
  3. C
    trade in
  4. D
    trade up

Answer

The correct phrasal verb is 'trade on', which means to exploit or take unfair advantage of something (such as reputation or status) for personal benefit.
The phrasal verb 'trade on' specifically means to take selfish or unfair advantage of something, such as a name, reputation, or past achievement, to secure an unearned benefit. In this sentence context, using family prestige to gain public support fits 'trade on' precisely.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the contextual meaning of the sentence.
The sentence describes someone using their family's past reputation/prestige in an manipulative or opportunistic way to win public trust.
Understanding the precise nuance of the action helps identify the specific phrasal verb required.
2
Evaluate the particle combinations with the verb root 'trade'.
'Trade on' specifically conveys exploiting a status or reputation, whereas 'trade off' implies compromise, 'trade in' implies exchanging goods, and 'trade up' implies acquiring a better item.
Phrasal verbs alter their core meanings based on the prepositions/particles paired with the base verb.

Key Concept

Contextual meaning of particle variations in phrasal verbs
Estimated Time:1m 30s
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Topics

Phrasal Verbs and Prepositional Verbs

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