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Difficulty: MediumPhrasal Verbs and Prepositional Verbs

Despite initial reluctance from the board of directors, the chief executive officer managed to ________ the major shareholders to sanction the expansion proposal. Which of the following prepositional verbs correctly completes the sentence?

  1. A
    prevail over
  2. prevail uponAnswer
  3. C
    prevail against
  4. D
    prevail with

Answer

The prepositional verb 'prevail upon' correctly completes the sentence because it means to successfully persuade or induce someone to take a specific action.
The expression 'prevail upon' (or 'prevail on') is a formal prepositional verb that means to persuade or induce someone to take a specific course of action. In the context of the sentence, the CEO successfully persuaded the shareholders to sanction the proposal.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the context and intended meaning of the sentence stem.
The sentence describes persuading major shareholders to grant approval ('sanction the expansion proposal') despite initial reluctance.
Identifying the target semantic requirement guides the choice of the correct particle following the verb 'prevail'.
2
Evaluate the idiom and prepositional requirements for 'prevail' in persuasive contexts.
The standard prepositional verb structure 'prevail upon (or on) [someone] to [do something]' means to persuade or convince them.
Distinguishing 'prevail upon' (persuade) from 'prevail over/against' (conquer/defeat) ensures precise formal usage required by standard assessments.

Key Concept

Prepositional Verb Meaning and Particle Selection
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Topics

Phrasal Verbs and Prepositional Verbs

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