Select the most appropriate option to fill in the blanks. The professor…
2025
Select the most appropriate option to fill in the blanks. The professor insisted _____ the importance of original research _____ academic writing.
Answer: A. on; in — ConceptA preposition links a noun phrase to another word and expresses a relationship such as topic, domain, purpose, or location. Some verbs select a fixed…
- A.
on; in
- B.
about; on
- C.
in; on
- D.
for; in
Attempted by 18 students.
Show answer & explanation
Correct answer: A
Concept
A preposition links a noun phrase to another word and expresses a relationship such as topic, domain, purpose, or location.
Some verbs select a fixed prepositional complement: the verb insist normally takes on before the matter being emphasized. To identify a field or context, in is used before the domain.
Application
Apply the two rules separately. The first blank follows insisted and introduces the matter being emphasized, so the phrase is insisted on the importance. The second blank introduces the domain of academic writing, so the phrase is in academic writing.
Contrast
about; on: about can introduce a general topic, but it is not the governed complement used after insist here; on does not mark the intended domain in the second phrase.
in; on: in does not form the required verb-preposition combination after insist, and on does not express the intended domain in the second phrase.
for; in: for usually marks purpose, benefit, or intended recipient rather than the complement selected by insist; in appropriately marks a field or domain.
Result
The completed sentence is: The professor insisted on the importance of original research in academic writing. Therefore, the required pair is on; in.