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Question

Difficulty: HardPhrasal Verbs and Prepositional Verbs

After hours of tense deliberation, the community leaders eventually managed to __________ the youth leader to withdraw his petition and seek an amicable settlement. Which of the following prepositional verbs correctly completes the sentence?

  1. prevail uponAnswer
  2. B
    prevail over
  3. C
    prevail against
  4. D
    prevail with

Answer

prevail upon
The prepositional verb 'prevail upon' (also written as 'prevail on') means to persuade or induce someone to do something. In this sentence, the community leaders successfully persuaded the youth leader to withdraw his petition.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Determine the contextual meaning required by the sentence stem
The sentence requires a verb phrase meaning 'to persuade or convince someone to take a specific course of action'.
The context describes community leaders convincing a youth leader to drop a petition.
2
Analyze the semantic differences among prepositional verbs formed with 'prevail'
'Prevail upon/on' indicates successful persuasion, whereas 'prevail over' and 'prevail against' signify overcoming or defeating an adversary.
Selecting the correct preposition requires distinguishing between persuasion and victory.
3
Select the option that conforms to standard British English grammar and context
'Prevail upon' fits both grammatically and idiomatically in the pattern 'prevail upon someone to do something'.
It accurately completes the statement with the intended meaning.

Key Concept

Prepositional Verb Particle Selection and Meaning
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Topics

Phrasal Verbs and Prepositional Verbs

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