In the following passage some words have been deleted. Fill in the blanks with the help of the alternatives given. Select the most appropriate option for each blank. Eager to control the South Atlantic, the British Navy had tasked Admiral Byron (1)______ settling an island off the South American coast (2)______ ships could resupply, and then finding an alternative (3)______ to the East Indies. After rounding the tip of South America, Admiral Byron confronted the world’s (4)______ body of water: the endless Pacific Ocean. After a month of empty blue horizon, a tiny island (5)______. Byron joyously described the island’s “beautiful appearance – surrounded by a beach of the finest white sand – and covered with tall trees."
Select the most appropriate option for blank No. 1.
with
Understanding Cloze Tests and Filling Blanks
Cloze tests assess your understanding of vocabulary, grammar, and context within a passage. To correctly fill the blanks, you need to read the sentence carefully, consider the words surrounding the blank, and evaluate which of the given options fits grammatically and makes the most sense in the overall context.
Let's focus on the first blank in the provided passage:
Eager to control the South Atlantic, the British Navy had tasked Admiral Byron (1)______ settling an island off the South American coast...
The sentence states that the British Navy "tasked" Admiral Byron. The verb "task" means to assign a specific duty or responsibility to someone. We need to determine the correct preposition to follow "tasked" when referring to the task itself.
Analyzing Options for Blank No. 1
Let's look at the given options and see which one correctly completes the phrase "tasked Admiral Byron ______ settling an island":
- with: The structure "tasked with something" or "tasked with doing something" is a standard idiomatic expression in English. It means someone has been assigned the job or responsibility of doing that particular thing. For example, "He was tasked with completing the report." This fits the context where Admiral Byron was assigned the task of settling the island.
- for: While "responsible for something" or "known for something" are common, "tasked for something" is not the standard grammatical structure when describing the task assigned. You might do something 'for' someone, but you are typically 'tasked with' the action or object of the task.
- of: The preposition "of" is generally not used after "tasked" in this way. For example, you might say "the task *of* settling," but not "tasked *of* settling."
- from: The preposition "from" indicates origin or separation. It does not fit the context of assigning a task. You might receive a task 'from' someone, but you are not 'tasked from' doing something.
Determining the Most Appropriate Option
Based on the analysis of standard English idioms and grammar, the phrase "tasked with settling an island" is the correct and most appropriate construction. The British Navy assigned the responsibility *of* settling the island *to* Admiral Byron, and "tasked with" accurately conveys this assignment.
Therefore, the most appropriate option for blank No. 1 is "with".
The completed part of the sentence reads: "...the British Navy had tasked Admiral Byron with settling an island off the South American coast..."
Revision Table: Understanding 'Tasked With'
| Phrase | Usage Context | Correct/Incorrect |
|---|---|---|
| Tasked with [doing something] | Assigning responsibility for an action. | Correct (Standard idiom) |
| Tasked with [a task/responsibility] | Assigning a specific duty. | Correct (Standard idiom) |
| Tasked for [doing something] | Assigning responsibility for an action. | Incorrect (Not standard) |
| Tasked of [doing something] | Assigning responsibility for an action. | Incorrect (Grammatically incorrect) |
| Tasked from [doing something] | Assigning responsibility for an action. | Incorrect (Incorrect meaning) |
Additional Information: Prepositions After Verbs
Many verbs in English require specific prepositions to form correct phrases or idioms. These are often not easily predictable and need to be learned through exposure and practice. Some examples include:
- Accused of
- Believe in
- Depend on
- Listen to
- Rely on
- Succeed in
- Talk about or to
In this case, "tasked with" is the correct prepositional phrase to indicate the assignment of a duty or responsibility. Understanding these fixed phrases and verb-preposition combinations is crucial for excelling in cloze tests and improving overall English fluency and accuracy.
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Important Questions from Vocab Based Questions
Select whichever word you consider most appropriate for the blank (1)
Select whichever word you consider most appropriate for the blank (2)
Select whichever word you consider most appropriate for the blank (3)
Select whichever word you consider most appropriate for the blank (4)
Select whichever word you consider most appropriate for the blank (5)
