Question:
Choose the correct option out of the four choices given.
Nobody in our group is a genius ________ winning friends and in convincing people.
Choose the correct option out of the four choices given.
Nobody in our group is a genius ________ winning friends and in convincing people.
Nobody in our group is a genius ________ winning friends and in convincing people.
Show Hint
Read past the blank. The second half of the sentence already says "and in convincing people", and joined phrases must match.
Updated On: Jul 17, 2026
- for
- in
- of
- at
Show Solution
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The Correct Option is B
Solution and Explanation
The clue in this sentence is not the noun "genius" on its own but the words after the blank: "and in convincing people". Two activities are joined by "and", so both must be introduced the same way. The second one already carries "in", which means the first must carry "in" as well. This is the rule of parallel structure.
- for: "A genius for" is a real phrase, as in "a genius for making enemies", but putting it here gives "a genius for winning friends and in convincing people", where the two halves no longer match. The parallelism breaks.
- in: This matches "in convincing people" exactly, so the sentence reads "a genius in winning friends and in convincing people". Both activities are framed the same way, and the sentence stays balanced.
- of: "Genius of" is used for the spirit or character of a place or age, as in "the genius of the age". It does not introduce a skill, so it is wrong on meaning as well as on parallelism.
- at: "A genius at" is idiomatic in ordinary speech, and on its own it would be a strong choice. It still fails here because the sentence forces a match with the "in" that follows.
The correct option is (B) in. The sentence reads: "Nobody in our group is a genius in winning friends and in convincing people."
Let's summarize:
- When "and" joins two phrases, both need the same preposition, and the printed "in convincing people" settles what that preposition is.
- "At" and "for" would be acceptable with "genius" in a different sentence, while "of" belongs to a different sense of the word altogether.
The answer is (B) in.
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