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Difficulty: MediumPrepositions and Prepositional Phrases

Which prepositions correctly complete the sentence below?

Answer:The university senate insisted that all postgraduate applications must conform 【to】 the newly approved admission guidelines, irrespective 【of】 the applicants' prior qualifications.

Answer

The correct prepositions needed to complete the sentence are 'to' for the first blank and 'of' for the second blank.
The verb 'conform' requires the dependent preposition 'to' when indicating adherence to established standards or guidelines. Additionally, 'irrespective' forms a fixed prepositional phrase with 'of' ('irrespective of') to mean 'without taking into account'. Thus, 'to' and 'of' correctly complete the sentence.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Determine the correct dependent preposition required after the verb 'conform' when referring to rules or standards.
The verb 'conform' collocates with the preposition 'to'.
In standard English usage, one conforms 'to' a set of rules, regulations, or guidelines.
2
Identify the standard multi-word prepositional phrase starting with 'irrespective'.
The fixed prepositional phrase is 'irrespective of'.
'Irrespective' requires the preposition 'of' to form a functioning compound preposition meaning 'regardless of'.

Key Concept

Prepositions and Prepositional Phrases
Estimated Time:1m 0s
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Prepositions and Prepositional Phrases

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