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Question

Difficulty: MediumPrepositions and Prepositional Phrases

The governing council decided to delay the policy implementation _____ the wishes of the founding members, who requested additional time to evaluate the proposed amendments. Which prepositional phrase correctly completes the sentence?

  1. in deference toAnswer
  2. B
    in deference of
  3. C
    with deference for
  4. D
    by deference to

Answer

in deference to
The expression 'in deference to' is a standard fixed prepositional phrase in English used to express polite submission or respect to someone or their wishes.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify the head noun and context of respect or regard
The noun 'deference' denotes polite submission or respect towards another party's wishes.
Understanding the semantic intent helps narrow down fixed idiom patterns.
2
Select the fixed prepositional structure
The correct fixed prepositional phrase in formal English is 'in deference to'.
The noun 'deference' takes the preposition 'to' when indicating the person or entity being respected, and is preceded by 'in'.

Key Concept

Fixed Prepositional Phrases and Idiomatic Collocations
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Topics

Prepositions and Prepositional Phrases

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