Question

Which of the following sentences have INCORRECT usage of preposition? 1. The manager was sitting at the desk. 2. My work is superior to yours. 3. I prefer coffee than tea. 4. She was accused for stealing gold. 5. This is an exception to the rule. 6. They are leaving to England soon.

• A. 1,2,3
• B. 2,3,4
• C. 3,4,6
• D. 3,4,5
• E. 1,3,6

Answer 1

The Correct Option is C

To determine which sentences have incorrect usage of prepositions, we'll examine each given sentence.

1. Sentence: "The manager was sitting at the desk."
   Explanation: The preposition "at" is correctly used when indicating a specific location such as "the desk." Therefore, this sentence has the correct usage of a preposition.
2. Sentence: "My work is superior to yours."
   Explanation: The preposition "to" is correctly used here. "Superior" is typically followed by "to" rather than "than," making it correct in this context.
3. Sentence: "I prefer coffee than tea."
   Explanation: The correct preposition here should be "to" instead of "than." The correct sentence should be: "I prefer coffee to tea." Hence, this sentence has incorrect usage of a preposition.
4. Sentence: "She was accused for stealing gold."
   Explanation: The correct preposition to use with "accused" is "of" and not "for." The correct sentence should be: "She was accused of stealing gold." Therefore, this sentence has incorrect preposition usage.
5. Sentence: "This is an exception to the rule."
   Explanation: The preposition "to" is correctly used to indicate a specific rule that stands as an exception. Thus, this sentence uses the preposition correctly.
6. Sentence: "They are leaving to England soon."
   Explanation: The correct preposition in this context should be "for" instead of "to." The sentence should read: "They are leaving for England soon." Hence, there is incorrect preposition usage in this sentence.

Based on the above analysis, sentences 3, 4, and 6 contain incorrect usage of prepositions. Therefore, the correct answer is: 3,4,6.

Answer 2

Let’s examine each sentence carefully: 

1. Correct: “The manager was sitting at the desk.”  Proper usage. “At the desk” is the correct prepositional phrase.
2. Correct: “My work is superior to yours.” “Superior” is always followed by to, not any other preposition.
3. Incorrect: “I prefer coffee than tea.” The correct form is: “I prefer coffee to tea.”
4. Incorrect: “She was accused for stealing gold.” The correct form is: “She was accused of stealing gold.”
5. Correct: “This is an exception to the rule.” “Exception to” is the correct expression.
6. Incorrect: “They are leaving to England soon.” Correct usage: “They are leaving for England soon.”

Summary

• Sentence 3 — wrong (“than” → should be “to”).
• Sentence 4 — wrong (“for” → should be “of”).
• Sentence 6 — wrong (“to” → should be “for”).

Key Takeaway

Thus, the sentences with incorrect preposition usage are 3, 4, and 6. Correct Answer: Option C.