Understanding Sentence Structure and Responsibility

The question asks us to identify the most appropriate phrase to replace the underlined segment "with a responsibility to marketing" in the sentence:

"Durga is now the Executive Vice- President of the company with a responsibility to marketing for the entire northern zone."

We need to choose the option that makes the sentence grammatically correct and expresses the intended meaning clearly. The sentence implies that Durga, as the Executive Vice-President, possesses a specific duty or function related to marketing in the northern zone.

Analyzing the Original Phrase and Options

Let's look at the original phrase and how 'responsibility' is typically used with prepositions.

• Original: "with a responsibility to marketing" - The preposition 'to' is generally used when someone has a responsibility *to* a person or an entity (e.g., responsibility to the team, responsibility to the customers). Having a responsibility *to* a function like 'marketing' is less common and can be awkward. The article 'a' suggests one of potentially many responsibilities.

Now, let's examine the given options:

• Option 1: No improvement - As noted above, "responsibility to marketing" is not the most standard or clear phrasing. Therefore, an improvement is likely needed.
• Option 2: with a responsibility by marketing - The preposition 'by' indicates the agent performing an action. "Responsibility by marketing" would mean marketing has or gives the responsibility, which doesn't fit the context where Durga *has* the responsibility.
• Option 3: with the responsibility of marketing - The phrase "responsibility of marketing" correctly uses 'of' to indicate the domain or scope of the responsibility. "The responsibility" uses the definite article 'the', suggesting a specific responsibility associated with her role as Executive Vice-President overseeing the northern zone, which is the responsibility *of* marketing. This structure clearly states that the duty is related to the function of marketing.
• Option 4: with responsibility from marketing - Similar to 'by', 'from' suggests origin. Responsibility usually resides *with* a person or role, not originates *from* a function like marketing in this type of sentence structure.

Determining the Correct Substitution

Based on the analysis of how 'responsibility' is used and the context of the sentence, option 3, "with the responsibility of marketing", is the most appropriate substitution. It correctly identifies that Durga has a specific responsibility that pertains to the area of marketing for the northern zone.

Explanation Summary

• The original phrase "responsibility to marketing" is not standard English usage for defining the scope of a responsibility.
• "Responsibility by marketing" and "responsibility from marketing" misuse the prepositions 'by' and 'from' in this context.
• "Responsibility of marketing" correctly uses 'of' to specify the area or function covered by the responsibility.
• Using 'the' before 'responsibility' (as in "the responsibility of marketing") is appropriate when referring to the specific duty assigned to the role.

Final Answer Selection

Comparing the options, "with the responsibility of marketing" is the most grammatically sound and contextually appropriate choice to describe the duty assigned to Durga as the Executive Vice-President for the northern zone.

Revision Table: Understanding Prepositions with Responsibility

Additional Information: Roles and Responsibilities

When describing someone's role in a company, phrases defining their duties are crucial. The sentence here describes Durga's elevated position as Executive Vice-President and then specifies her key duty related to the northern zone. Correct preposition usage ensures clarity about the nature and scope of her role and responsibility. Using "responsibility of marketing" clearly links her duty to the marketing function, which is standard business language.