Question

Fill in the blank with the relevant preposition-
The cake was cut ___ a silver knife.
a- by
b- upon
c- with
d- at

Answer 1

Hint:We use prepositions to link the noun or the pronoun with the rest of the sentence. Prepositions help in modifying and identifying the position of the nouns and pronouns.

Complete answer:
Let’s look at the functions of different prepositions-
By- ‘By’ is a preposition that is used to indicate by whom an action is performed. Example- This paper was written by her.
Upon- ‘Upon’ is a preposition that is used in formal situations to indicate the surface over which something is kept. Example- I have kept the teacher’s bag upon the table.
With- ‘With’ is a preposition that is used to indicate what we use to perform an action. Example- She knit this sweater with her needle.
At- ‘At’ is a preposition that is used to indicate a location. It is also used to indicate midnight. Example- The teacher asked to meet her at the canteen.
In the given question- We can conclude that the cake was cut with a silver knife. We have used the preposition, ‘with’ to indicate the use of a knife to cut the cake.
Now, let’s examine the given options-
Option a- ‘By’ is an incorrect option, because the above-given sentence doesn’t specify who performed the action.
Option b- ‘Upon’ is an incorrect option, because the above-given sentence doesn’t talk about any surface.
Option c- ‘With’ is the correct option, because the above-given sentence specifies the use of a knife to cut the cake.
Option d- ‘At’ is an incorrect option, because the above-given sentence doesn’t specify a location.
So, the correct answer is “Option c”.

Note:
A preposition cannot function without an object, otherwise, it becomes an adverb. Example- 1) She performed above the stage. 2) She sat above. Here, in 1), the use of ‘above’ indicates a position, whereas in 2), ‘above’ acts as an adverb that is describing the verb, ‘sat’.