Examkin

Question

Difficulty: MediumCollocations and Fixed Phrases

Select the option that appropriately completes the fixed collocational phrase in the following sentence:

"During the parliamentary debate, the opposition leader was cautioned by the Speaker for attempting to ________ aspersions on the integrity of the electoral commission."

  1. castAnswer
  2. B
    throw
  3. C
    pass
  4. D
    lay

Answer

cast
In standard English, the fixed idiom/collocation is 'cast aspersions on', which means to make damaging or derogatory remarks about someone's reputation or character.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify the head noun and prepositional context in the sentence
The target phrase is '__ aspersions on'
Recognizing the fixed phrase context helps determine which specific verb collocates with 'aspersions'.
2
Select the idiomatic verb that naturally pairs with 'aspersions'
The verb 'cast' forms the standard English collocation 'cast aspersions on'.
Collocations rely on conventional word pairings established in formal usage.

Key Concept

Fixed Verb-Noun Collocations
Rate this question

Topics

Collocations and Fixed Phrases

More questions from this topic