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Question

Difficulty: MediumPrepositions and Prepositional Phrases

The executive committee noted that the proposed amendment was completely inimical _____ the core principles of the organization. Which preposition correctly completes the sentence?

  1. A
    with
  2. toAnswer
  3. C
    for
  4. D
    against

Answer

The preposition 'to' correctly completes the sentence, making the phrase 'inimical to'.
The adjective 'inimical' (meaning harmful, hostile, or adverse) strictly takes the dependent preposition 'to'. Therefore, the correct phrase is 'inimical to the core principles'.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify the key adjective in the sentence requiring a dependent preposition.
The target word is 'inimical', which means harmful, adverse, or hostile.
Certain adjectives in English mandate specific prepositions to form standard collocations.
2
Determine the standard dependent preposition that pairs with 'inimical'.
'Inimical' strictly governs the preposition 'to' (e.g., 'inimical to progress', 'inimical to freedom').
Using any other preposition violates established grammatical convention and fixed prepositional patterns.

Key Concept

Dependent Prepositions with Adjectives
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Topics

Prepositions and Prepositional Phrases

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