Question

Identify and correct the errors in the following sentence.
I prefer milk than tea.

Answer 1

Hint: The error in the sentence lies in the incorrect usage of the preposition ‘than’. We need to replace ‘than’ with the correct preposition.

Complete step-by-step answer:

 A preposition is a word that shows a relation between two nouns or two pronouns in a sentence. They are crucial figures of speech and need to be used in the appropriate contexts of time, place, and position.

 Let us look at some prepositional phrases.
      He was born in 1989.

 Here the preposition in indicates time.
   She arrived at the airport.

Here the preposition at indicates place.
  The cat is sleeping under the table.

Here the preposition under indicates position.


In the above example, the preposition than makes the entire sentence sound wrong. This is because it is an example of a preposition that has been utilized in the wrong manner. In this case, we need to use a preposition that indicates preference i.e., a preference for milk to that of tea.

To is a preposition that can be used to indicate the relation between two objects of preference.

E.g. I prefer running to swimming or He prefers red wine to white wine.

In both cases, as one item is preferred to the other item, the correct preposition is to.


Note: A working knowledge of the different types of prepositions and the contexts in which they are used helps us to arrive at the correct answer by eliminating the wrong options.