He is temperate ______ his response to criticism.
2024
He is temperate ______ his response to criticism.
Answer: D. in — ConceptMany English adjectives are fixed to a particular preposition by collocation (an established word-partnership), not by logic. The adjective "temperate"…
- A.
with
- B.
on
- C.
of
- D.
in
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Show answer & explanation
Correct answer: D
Concept
Many English adjectives are fixed to a particular preposition by collocation (an established word-partnership), not by logic. The adjective "temperate" means moderate, self-restrained, or showing self-control. The standard collocation for this adjective is "temperate in", and the noun after it names the activity or respect within which the restraint is shown (for example, temperate in eating, temperate in speech).
Application
The sentence shows the person staying moderate and controlled in how he reacts to criticism, so the fixed preposition for "temperate" fills the blank, giving "temperate in his response to criticism."
Why the other prepositions do not fit
"Temperate" does not collocate with "with"; other adjectives such as "angry" or "patient" happen to take "with" (angry with, patient with), but that specific pairing does not carry over to "temperate."
"Temperate" does not collocate with "on"; some other adjectives fix to "on" (keen on), but that pairing is specific to those adjectives, not to "temperate."
"Temperate" does not collocate with "of"; other adjectives fix to "of" for their own reasons (made of wood, fond of chocolate), but neither pairing extends to "temperate."
Cross-check
Its near-synonym "moderate" keeps the same partner — one is "moderate in" one's habits or reactions — confirming that "in" is the preposition that idiomatically follows this adjective.