Select the appropriate preposition to fill in the blank in the following…
2014
Select the appropriate preposition to fill in the blank in the following sentence:
We live ____ rice.
- A.
at
- B.
on
- C.
for
- D.
with
Attempted by 1 students.
Show answer & explanation
Correct answer: B
Concept: Prepositions that follow the verb "live" change its meaning depending on which one is used — "live at" names a location, "live on" names the means of subsistence a person depends on (a food source, income, or resource), "live for" names a goal or purpose that motivates someone, and "live with" names a person or condition someone shares or puts up with.
Application: In "We live ____ rice", rice is the staple food the subject depends on for survival, not a place, a goal, or a companion. This matches the fixed idiom "live on", which is used to say what a person or animal survives by eating. So the blank takes "on".
Cross-check — how each preposition combines with "live":
"at" combines with a place or address, as in "live at the hostel", not with a food item.
"for" combines with a goal or cause a person is devoted to, as in "live for music", not with a food item.
"with" combines with a companion or condition someone shares, as in "live with a friend", not with a food item.