Look at the underlined part of each sentence. Below each sentence are given three possible substitutions for the underlined part. If one of them (a), (b) or (c) is better than the underlined part, indicate your response on the Answer Sheet against the corresponding letter (a), (b) or (c). If none of the substitutions improves the sentence, indicate (d) as your response on the Answer Sheet. Thus a “No improvement” response will be signified by the letter (d). The police accused him for theft,
of
Understanding Preposition Use with 'Accuse'
The question asks us to choose the best substitution for the underlined part "for theft" in the sentence, "The police accused him for theft,". We need to identify the correct preposition that follows the verb 'accused' in this context.
Analyzing the Original Sentence
The original sentence is "The police accused him for theft,". The verb is 'accused', and it is followed by the preposition 'for'. We need to determine if 'for' is the grammatically correct preposition when someone is accused of a crime or wrongdoing.
Examining the Options
Let's look at the given options and see which preposition correctly follows 'accused'.
with
Using 'with' after 'accused' is generally incorrect when referring to the charge itself. We accuse someone of a crime, not usually 'with' a crime (unless perhaps in a very specific, less common construction like "accused him with evidence," but that's different).
in
The preposition 'in' is not used after 'accused' to state the charge or crime. For example, you wouldn't say "accused him in theft."
of
The standard and correct preposition to use after the verb 'accuse' when stating the charge or crime is 'of'. The structure is "accuse someone of something". For instance, "accuse someone of murder", "accuse someone of lying", or "accuse someone of theft". This fits the context of the sentence perfectly.
No improvement
Since the preposition 'for' in the original sentence "accused him for theft" is grammatically incorrect, an improvement is needed. Therefore, "No improvement" is not the correct choice.
Correct Preposition for 'Accuse'
The correct usage of the verb 'accuse' when stating the reason or charge against someone is always followed by the preposition 'of'.
The correct structure is:
- Subject + accuse(d) + Object (person) + of + Charge/Crime
Following this rule, the correct sentence should be "The police accused him of theft."
Conclusion
Based on the grammatical rule for using the verb 'accuse', the preposition 'of' is the correct choice to follow 'accused him' when referring to the crime of theft. This makes option (c) the best substitution.
Revision Table: Understanding 'Accuse Of'
| Verb + Preposition | Usage | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Accuse of | To say that someone is responsible for a crime or doing something wrong. | He was accused of cheating on the exam. |
Additional Information: Prepositions with Related Verbs
It's helpful to know which prepositions follow other verbs related to blame or crime:
- Charge with: To formally state that someone is responsible for a crime. (e.g., The police charged him with theft.)
- Blame for: To say or think that someone or something is responsible for something bad that has happened. (e.g., Don't blame me for the mistake.)
- Suspect of: To think that someone is guilty of a crime or involved in a crime. (e.g., The police suspect him of robbery.)
Understanding these common patterns helps in choosing the correct preposition for sentence improvement questions.
Important Questions from Phrase Replacement
In the following question, out of the four alternatives, select the alternative which will improve the underlined part of the sentence. In case no improvement is needed, select “No improvement”
My old teacher gave many poor students money in spite of he was poor.
In the following question, out of the four alternatives, select the alternative which will improve the underlined part of the sentence. In case no improvement is needed, select “No improvement”.
You should to read the newspaper regularly if you want to be well-informed.
In the following question, out of the four alternatives, select the alternative which will improve the underlined part of the sentence. In case no improvement is needed, select “No improvement”.
If he had listening to me he would not have got lost.
In the following question, out of the four alternatives, select the alternative which will improve the underlined part of the sentence. In case no improvement is needed, select “No improvement”
He asked for a bank loan also he didn't have sufficient resources.
In the following question, out of the four alternatives, select the alternative which will improve the underlined part of the sentence. In case no improvement is needed, select “No improvement”.
I went to the shop to buy some stationeries .
