In this English grammar fill-in-the-blank question, choose the correct prepositional phrase to complete the sentence: "He had to ______ his theft."

Introduction / Context:

This question tests your knowledge of verb-preposition combinations and correct verb forms in English. The sentence "He had to ______ his theft." suggests that the person felt regret or remorse for having committed a theft. You must choose the phrase that correctly completes the sentence in both meaning and grammar.

Given Data / Assumptions:

- Sentence: "He had to ______ his theft."

- Options: "repent for", "repent in", "repented", "repenting".

- The auxiliary "had to" indicates a requirement or obligation followed by a base form of a verb.

- The intended meaning is that he had to feel or express remorse about his theft.

Concept / Approach:

After "had to", we must use the base form of a verb, not a past tense or gerund. Therefore, "repented" and "repenting" are grammatically incorrect in this position. The verb "repent" in English often appears with the preposition "of" ("repent of his sins") or, in more modern usage, with "for" ("repent for his actions"). Among the given choices, only "repent for" uses the base verb "repent" followed by a preposition that can introduce the object "his theft". Although some grammarians prefer "repent of", exams often accept "repent for" as a standard collocation meaning to feel or express regret about something.

Step-by-Step Solution:

Verification / Alternative check:

We can check the completed sentence: "He had to repent for his theft." This clearly expresses that he was required to feel remorse for what he had done. If we tried "He had to repented his theft", the grammar would obviously fail. "He had to repenting his theft" is also ungrammatical. "He had to repent in his theft" does not make sense, as "repent in" is not idiomatic. Thus, within the available options, only "repent for" produces a well-formed and meaningful sentence.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:

"repent in" does not form a natural phrase in English when talking about feeling sorry for a wrongdoing. "repented" cannot follow "had to" because that structure demands a base verb, not a past tense. "repenting" similarly cannot follow "had to" directly, as it would require reworking the sentence into a different structure. Therefore, all three are grammatically or idiomatically incorrect in this blank.

Common Pitfalls:

One common difficulty in such questions is separating grammar from collocation. Students may correctly recognise that a base form is required but still choose a verb-preposition combination that is not idiomatic. Another pitfall is to be misled by nearby forms like "repented" which look familiar from past tense usage. A helpful strategy is to first check the verb form required by the auxiliary, then consider which preposition, if any, usually follows that verb in typical English usage.

Final Answer:

The correct completion is "repent for", giving the sentence "He had to repent for his theft."