He is afraid ______ snakes.
Grammar Practice: Using the Correct Preposition with 'Afraid'
This question tests your knowledge of prepositions, specifically which preposition is commonly used with the adjective 'afraid'. The sentence structure is "He is afraid ______ snakes." We need to find the word that correctly links the feeling of fear ('afraid') to the object of that fear ('snakes').
Understanding Preposition Usage
In English grammar, the adjective 'afraid' is typically followed by the preposition 'of' when indicating what someone fears. Let's look at the options:
- 'to': Used to indicate direction or infinitive verbs (e.g., "He is afraid to go.", "He is afraid to the park." - incorrect).
- 'of': Correctly used to express fear or concern about something or someone (e.g., "He is afraid of snakes.").
- 'with': Usually indicates accompaniment or using a tool (e.g., "He is playing with snakes." - different meaning, "He is afraid with snakes." - grammatically incorrect).
- 'for': Often indicates purpose or concern for someone/something (e.g., "He is afraid for his life.", "He is afraid for the snakes." - implies concern, not fear of them).
Analyzing the Sentence
The sentence "He is afraid ______ snakes" clearly expresses that the subject ('He') experiences fear related to 'snakes'. The standard and most appropriate preposition to convey this specific relationship is 'of'.
Therefore, the completed sentence is: "He is afraid of snakes."
Conclusion
The most appropriate option to fill in the blank is 'of' because it correctly expresses the object of the fear.
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