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Difficulty: MediumPrepositions and Prepositional Phrases

Complete the sentence below by filling in the blank with the most appropriate preposition.

Answer:The committee concluded that the continuous release of untreated industrial waste into the river was inimical 【to】 the health and well-being of the surrounding host community.

Answer

The correct preposition to complete the sentence is 'to'.
The adjective 'inimical' (meaning harmful or adverse) strictly pairs with the preposition 'to' in standard English syntax.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify the head adjective in the predicate that governs the prepositional phrase.
The adjective is 'inimical', which means harmful, hostile, or detrimental.
In standard English grammar, certain adjectives mandate specific dependent prepositions to express relational meaning.
2
Select the fixed dependent preposition that collocates with 'inimical'.
The adjective 'inimical' takes the preposition 'to' (i.e., 'inimical to something').
Substituting other prepositions such as 'for', 'with', or 'against' produces non-standard collocations and breaks grammatical idiomaticity.

Key Concept

Dependent prepositions following adjectives (inimical to)
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Topics

Prepositions and Prepositional Phrases

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