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Difficulty: Very hardCollocations and Fixed Phrases

Which verb correctly completes the fixed collocation in the sentence below?

Answer:The investigative committee warned that public officials who 【cast】 aspersions on the character of whistleblowers without empirical proof would face immediate disciplinary action.

Answer

The verb that correctly completes the fixed collocation is 'cast'.
The correct verb is 'cast', which combines with 'aspersions' to form the standard fixed collocation 'to cast aspersions on', meaning to criticize or malign someone's integrity.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the context and identify the target fixed expression.
The sentence requires a verb that pairs with the noun 'aspersions' to mean expressing damaging accusations or critical remarks.
In standard formal English, the established fixed expression is 'to cast aspersions on (someone or something)'.
2
Evaluate standard collocational usage to eliminate unidiomatic alternatives.
'Cast' is uniquely bound to 'aspersions' in formal register. Substituting near-synonyms like 'throw', 'pass', or 'make' breaks standard usage.
Fixed collocations governed by convention do not permit arbitrary synonym substitution.

Key Concept

Fixed Verb-Noun Collocations
Estimated Time:1m 0s
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Topics

Collocations and Fixed Phrases

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