Question

Fill in the blank with the most appropriate word.
This material is inferior _______ the kind we had last year.
(a)in
(b)to
(c)for
(d)of

Answer 1

Hint: Read the sentence and try to understand what it is trying to convey. Now use the hit and trial method to see which of the options fits the context and helps to express the meaning of the sentence in the best possible way.

Complete answer: A preposition is a function word that combines with a noun or pronoun or noun phrase to form a prepositional phrase that can have an adverbial or adjectival relation to some other word.
In the given question, we have to find out which of the options is used to indicate that the given adjective ‘inferior’ introduces a certain kind of comparison.
Let us thus analyze the options given to us in this question -
Option (a), 'in', refers to ‘contained by; surrounded by’. Therefore, option (a) is incorrect as it does not indicate that the given adjective ‘inferior’ introduces a certain kind of comparison.
Option (b), ‘to', refers to ‘used after an adjective to indicate its application’. Therefore, option (b) is correct as the adjective is ‘inferior’ and its application is the comparison between the materials.
Option (c), ‘for', refers to ‘towards; directed at, intended to belong to’. Therefore, option (c.) is incorrect as it does not indicate that the given adjective ‘inferior’ introduces a certain kind of comparison.
Option (d), ‘of', refers to ‘expressing direction; expressing separation; expressing origin.’ Therefore, option (d) is incorrect as it does not indicate that the given adjective ‘inferior’ introduces a certain kind of comparison.

Note: In this question, it will be helpful for the student to recall the concept of comparison, as the given sentence in the question indicates a comparison between a certain kind of material which is not as good as the material acquired the previous year. Comparison is the act of examining resemblances; it is the relationship based on similarities and differences.