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Question

Difficulty: HardPrepositions and Prepositional Phrases

Which prepositions correctly complete the numbered blanks in the sentence below?

Answer:Although the newly appointed auditor was thoroughly inured 【to】 high-pressure corporate environments, the discovered irregularities were entirely at variance 【with】 the official financial statements.

Answer

The first blank requires the preposition 'to' (inured to) and the second blank requires the preposition 'with' (at variance with).
The adjective 'inured' requires the dependent preposition 'to' to signify familiarity with harsh conditions, while the fixed prepositional phrase 'at variance with' is required to express contradiction between the financial irregularities and the official statements.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Determine the dependent preposition associated with the adjective 'inured'.
The adjective 'inured' takes the fixed dependent preposition 'to' when expressing being accustomed to something unpleasant or demanding.
Phrases like 'inured with' or 'inured against' represent unnatural prepositional collocations in standard English grammar.
2
Determine the correct preposition completing the complex prepositional expression 'at variance ____'.
The idiomatic prepositional phrase is 'at variance with', meaning in disagreement, conflict, or inconsistency with something.
Using prepositions such as 'from' or 'to' following 'at variance' breaks the established multi-word prepositional structure.

Key Concept

Dependent Prepositions and Fixed Prepositional Phrases
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Topics

Prepositions and Prepositional Phrases

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