Question:
Fill in the blank with the correct preposition: 'The administrator was preoccupied _______ preparations for the annual audit.'
Fill in the blank with the correct preposition: 'The administrator was preoccupied _______ preparations for the annual audit.'
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Adjectives expressing mental absorption (e.g., preoccupied, obsessed, busy, content) are frequently paired with the preposition "with."
Memorizing common collocations is highly effective for prepositions in exams.
Memorizing common collocations is highly effective for prepositions in exams.
Updated On: May 31, 2026
- with
- at
- in
- for
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The Correct Option is A
Solution and Explanation
Step 1: Understanding the Question:
The objective of this question is to fill in the blank with the correct preposition to complete the sentence grammatically.
This question focuses on adjective-preposition collocations, commonly known as fixed prepositions in English grammar.
Step 2: Detailed Explanation:
To identify the correct preposition, let us analyze the adjective used in the sentence and its standard usage:
• Understanding the Adjective: The adjective in the sentence is "preoccupied."
"Preoccupied" means completely engrossed in, distracted by, or thinking deeply about something to the exclusion of other thoughts.
• Analyzing the Collocation: In standard English grammar, the adjective "preoccupied" is fixedly followed by the preposition "with".
Therefore, the phrase "preoccupied with something" is the grammatically correct collocation.
Example: "She was too preoccupied with her exams to go out."
• Evaluating the Given Sentence: Applying this rule to the sentence, we get: "The administrator was preoccupied with preparations for the annual audit."
This is grammatically sound and conveys the intended meaning of focus.
• Evaluating Other Options: Prepositions such as "at," "in," and "for" do not collocate with "preoccupied" to indicate the subject of focus.
Using "preoccupied at," "preoccupied in," or "preoccupied for" violates standard idiomatic English rules.
Step 3: Final Answer:
Hence, the correct preposition to fill the blank is "with," which corresponds to option (A).
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