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Question

Difficulty: MediumPrepositions and Prepositional Phrases

Which prepositions correctly complete the sentence below?

'The state governor declared that the proposed educational reforms were completely at variance _____ the aspirations of the local community and urged all stakeholders to desist _____ spreading misleading rumors.'

  1. with / fromAnswer
  2. B
    to / from
  3. C
    from / in
  4. D
    with / against

Answer

The sentence is correctly completed by the pair 'with / from'.
The fixed prepositional phrase 'at variance with' expresses conflict or disagreement. Additionally, the verb 'desist' requires the preposition 'from' when specifying the action being stopped. Therefore, the option containing 'with / from' completes the sentence correctly.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Determine the required preposition following the idiom 'at variance ____'.
The standard English idiom is 'at variance with', meaning in disagreement or opposition.
Fixed prepositional phrases require exact collocations.
2
Determine the dependent preposition governed by the verb 'desist ____'.
The verb 'desist' takes the complement preposition 'from'.
Certain verbs in formal English strictly govern specific prepositions.

Key Concept

Prepositional Idioms and Dependent Prepositions
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Topics

Prepositions and Prepositional Phrases

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