Question

Choose the appropriate preposition to complete the sentence.
They selected me for the job only ____ merit.
a. On
b. In
c. Along
d. To

Answer 1

Hint: We use prepositions to join the subject or the noun with the rest of the sentence and help in indicating the position of an object. Prepositions help in forming a phrase that usually acts like an adjective, adverb, or a noun.

Complete answer:
Let’s look at the usage of different prepositions:
On: ‘On’ is a preposition that is used to indicate the surface of an object or the criteria for something. For example- She got admission in the college only on results.
In: ‘In’ is a preposition that is used to indicate the position of an object inside a place. For example- The book is in my bag.
Along: ‘Along’ is a preposition that is used to indicate together with something. For example- A note was sent along with the money.
To: ‘To’ is a preposition that is used to indicate the movement of an object from one place to the desired direction. For example- She walked to the park.
In the given question- We can conclude that X and Y selected Z for the job only on merit. Here, we have used ‘on’ to indicate a specific criterion on the basis of which selection was done.

Now, let’s examine the given options:
Option a, ‘On’ is the correct option because it is used to indicate the criteria of Z’s selection.
Option b, ‘In’ is an incorrect option because it is used to indicate the position of an object inside a place.
Option c, ‘Along’ is an incorrect option because we are not indicating the addition of something.
Option d, ‘To’ is an incorrect option because we are not talking about the movement of an object. The correct answer is Option ‘a’.

Note: A preposition cannot function without an object, otherwise, it becomes an adverb. Keep in mind, a preposition acts as a modifier for the subject and not the object.