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Difficulty: MediumPrepositions and Prepositional Phrases

The committee chairman noted that although several board members were initially skeptical of the restructuring policy, they eventually proved amenable _____ the proposed changes. Which preposition correctly completes the sentence above?

  1. toAnswer
  2. B
    with
  3. C
    for
  4. D
    about

Answer

The correct option is 'to' because the adjective 'amenable' requires the preposition 'to' when signifying open, responsive, or willing to yield.
In standard formal English, the adjective 'amenable' takes the dependent preposition 'to' when used to mean open, receptive, or agreeable to a plan or advice. Therefore, 'to' is the only grammatically correct choice.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify the head adjective requiring a dependent preposition in the sentence context.
The word requiring a complement preposition is the predicate adjective 'amenable'.
Certain adjectives in English take obligatory fixed dependent prepositions to complete their meaning.
2
Recall standard prepositional collocation rules for 'amenable'.
The correct complement structure is 'amenable to something' (meaning responsive, willing, or agreeable to something).
Substituting other prepositions such as 'with', 'for', or 'about' violates standard grammatical usage in formal English.

Key Concept

Dependent Prepositions and Adjective-Preposition Collocations
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Topics

Prepositions and Prepositional Phrases

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