Difficulty: Medium
Correct Answer: at
Explanation:
Introduction:
This question tests your knowledge of correct prepositions with institutions such as school, college, or work. In English, different prepositions like "in", "at", and "inside" convey slightly different meanings, and only one of them is idiomatic in this sentence about children being in the education system during certain ages.
Given Data / Assumptions:
- Sentence: "Most children remain ______ school between the ages of seven and ten."
- Options: in, under, at, inside.
- The intention is to talk about children being enrolled in and attending school during those years.
Concept / Approach:
When we talk about someone being in an institution in a general sense, such as school, college, university, or hospital, we often use the preposition "at". For example, "at school" implies attending school as a student, not just being physically inside the building. "In school" can also be used in some dialects, but exam English usually prefers "at school" for this type of general statement. The phrase "under school" or "inside school" would sound awkward in this context.
Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Interpret the sentence. It is describing the typical period during which most children attend school.Step 2: Test "at": "Most children remain at school between the ages of seven and ten." This sounds natural and idiomatic.Step 3: Test "in": "Most children remain in school between the ages of seven and ten." This can sometimes be used, but in many exam contexts, "at school" is more standard, especially for British English usage.Step 4: Test "under" and "inside". "Remain under school" and "remain inside school" do not express the idea of being enrolled or receiving education in the correct way.Step 5: Conclude that "at" is the most appropriate and expected preposition here.
Verification / Alternative check:
Consider similar examples: "children are at school during the day", "he is at college now", "she is at university". These all refer to being engaged in study, not just physically in the building. In exam style English, "at school" is the standard collocation when describing the educational phase of life, especially with age ranges.
Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Option A, "in", is sometimes used in casual speech, but the construction "remain in school" is more often used in contexts like staying enrolled instead of dropping out. Here the exam expects the more general institutional phrase "at school". Option B, "under", is incorrect because we do not say "under school" to indicate attending school. Option D, "inside", focuses on physical location within the building, which is not the point of this general age related statement.
Common Pitfalls:
Many learners confuse "in school" and "at school". While both can occur, exam boards often prefer one standard form to avoid ambiguity. Another pitfall is to treat all location expressions literally and choose "inside" because school is a building, but that ignores the idiomatic nature of institutional phrases. Learning common expressions such as "at school", "at work", and "at home" helps avoid such mistakes.
Final Answer:
The correct preposition is at, so the sentence reads, "Most children remain at school between the ages of seven and ten."
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