Select the appropriate preposition to fill in the blank in the following…
2015
Select the appropriate preposition to fill in the blank in the following sentence:
I eat rice ____ my hands.
- A.
in
- B.
at
- C.
with
- D.
for
Attempted by 1 students.
Show answer & explanation
Correct answer: C
Concept: A preposition of instrument or means (most commonly "with") names the tool, device, or body part used to carry out an action. This is different from a preposition of place ("in" - inside an enclosed space; "at" - a specific point in place or time) or a preposition of purpose ("for" - the reason or intended recipient of an action).
Application: The sentence "I eat rice ____ my hands" describes the physical means by which the eating is performed — the hands are the instrument used to eat. This calls for the preposition of instrument, which is "with". The grammatically correct sentence is: "I eat rice with my hands."
Cross-check: Testing each remaining preposition against the instrumental meaning confirms the choice:
"in" would suggest the rice is located inside the hands (a container relationship), which does not match the intended meaning of using the hands as a tool.
"at" would indicate a specific point in place or time, which is unrelated to describing the instrument used for eating.
"for" would indicate purpose or an intended recipient of the action, not the means by which the eating is carried out.
Result: "With" is the preposition that correctly expresses the instrument/means relationship in this sentence.