Provided By vs. Provided With Electricity Supply

The question asks to identify the correct preposition to use with the verb "provide" in the context of supplying electricity to villages. The original sentence structure is: "Each village in the state is provided by electricity supply." We need to replace "provided by" with the most appropriate alternative.

Understanding Verb Preposition Usage

The verb "provide" typically follows a specific pattern when indicating what is being supplied. The standard and grammatically correct structure is:

provide someone/something with something

This means that the thing being supplied (in this case, electricity supply) is introduced by the preposition "with".

Analyzing the Options

Let's look at why the other options are less suitable:

• provided in: This preposition usually indicates a location or context. For example, "The details are provided in the report." It does not fit the context of supplying an item.
• provided for: This phrase can mean to supply necessities or make arrangements for someone or something. For example, "He provided for his family." or "The funds were provided for the project." While related to supplying, it's not the standard structure for providing an item like electricity supply.
• provided by: This preposition is used to indicate the source or the agent performing the action of providing. For example, "Electricity is provided by the government." or "The service is provided by our company." In the given sentence, "electricity supply" is the item being provided, not the source doing the providing.
• provided with: This is the correct idiomatic usage when stating what is supplied or furnished. The structure is "be provided with something". Therefore, "Each village in the state is provided with electricity supply" correctly indicates that electricity supply is being furnished to each village.

Conclusion on Correct Usage

Based on standard English grammar rules for the verb "provide", the correct preposition to use when stating what is being supplied is "with". The sentence should correctly read: "Each village in the state is provided with electricity supply." This clearly indicates that the villages are being furnished with the service of electricity.