Direction: Fill in the blank with the appropriate preposition. He lost all his property because of his addiction _____ drinking and gambling.
to
Understanding Prepositions with "Addiction"
The question asks us to fill in the blank with the appropriate preposition in the sentence: "He lost all his property because of his addiction _____ drinking and gambling."
We need to determine which preposition correctly follows the noun "addiction" when specifying the object or activity that someone is addicted to.
Analyzing the Prepositions
- Addiction with: The preposition "with" is not typically used after "addiction" in this context. "Addiction with" might suggest possession or accompaniment, which doesn't fit the meaning of being addicted to something.
- Addiction in: The preposition "in" is also not the standard preposition to follow "addiction". "Addiction in" could imply a location or state, but not the target of the addiction itself.
- Addiction to: The phrase "addiction to" is the standard and correct idiomatic expression used to indicate what someone is addicted to. For example, addiction to drugs, addiction to alcohol, addiction to gambling.
- Addiction of: While "of" can show possession or relationship, it is not the correct preposition to follow "addiction" when naming the thing one is addicted to. We might say "the addiction of the gambler", but not "addiction of gambling".
Determining the Correct Preposition
In English grammar, the noun "addiction" is almost always followed by the preposition "to" when specifying the object of the addiction. The structure is "addiction to [something]".
In the given sentence, the person's addiction is related to "drinking and gambling". Therefore, the correct preposition is "to".
The completed sentence is: "He lost all his property because of his addiction to drinking and gambling."
Conclusion
Based on the standard usage and idiomatic expressions in English, the preposition that correctly follows "addiction" when naming the object is "to".
Important Questions from Fill in the Blanks
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Each of the following sentences has a blank space and four words are given below it. Select the word or group of words you consider most appropriate for the blank space and indicate your response accordingly.
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