Choose the correct preposition, out of four options, to be filled in the blank…
2014
Choose the correct preposition, out of four options, to be filled in the blank of the following sentence:
India's economy is, at present, infested _____ problems.
- A.
to
- B.
with
- C.
in
- D.
about
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Show answer & explanation
Correct answer: B
Concept
A collocation is a fixed pairing of a verb with a particular preposition that English speakers conventionally use together. The verb 'infest' (to be present in unpleasantly large numbers, to overrun) conventionally pairs with the preposition that introduces WHAT does the overrunning.
Application
In the sentence, the blank must link 'infested' to its complement 'problems' (the thing overrunning India's economy). The conventional pairing for 'infest' introduces that complement directly, so the blank is filled by the preposition that carries the 'overrun / filled by' meaning: India's economy is, at present, infested with problems.
Contrast
'to' marks direction or a recipient and never pairs with 'infest', so it cannot link the verb to what overruns it.
'in' marks a location or container, but the blank must name what overruns the subject, not where it sits.
'about' marks a topic or an approximate quantity, neither of which is the relation 'infest' requires.
Result
The correct sentence is: India's economy is, at present, infested with problems. The same pattern appears in 'the house was infested with rats' and 'the data was infested with errors'.
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