Fill in the blanks with suitable prepositions to complete the sentence: The dog was sitting _______ the table waiting _______ catch the ball that was thrown ________ him _________ his master.

Difficulty: Medium

Correct Answer: under, to, towards, by

Explanation:


Introduction / Context:
This question tests command over English prepositions and infinitive usage within a complex sentence. You are given a sentence about a dog, a table, and a ball, with four blanks that must be filled using one of the option groups. Correct prepositions are essential for grammatical accuracy and natural sounding English, especially in exams that assess language skills and comprehension.


Given Data / Assumptions:
1) The sentence structure is: The dog was sitting _______ the table waiting _______ catch the ball that was thrown ________ him _________ his master.
2) We need a preposition for the position of the dog relative to the table.
3) We need an expression with an infinitive for the purpose, such as waiting to catch.
4) We need a preposition indicating direction of the ball, such as towards him.
5) We need a preposition that shows the agent who threw the ball, such as by his master.


Concept / Approach:
The most natural English phrase about the dog and table is sitting under the table, not below the table or up the table. For purpose, we commonly say waiting to catch, not waiting for catch in this context. The ball moves in the direction towards him, and the act of throwing is performed by his master. Therefore, the logical combination of prepositions that fits all four positions is under, to, towards, by.


Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Consider the first blank. We usually say that a dog is sitting under the table, which is idiomatic and grammatically correct. Step 2: Compare under and below. Below the table is possible, but under the table is the more standard collocation when talking about a dog hiding or sitting there. Step 3: For the second blank, we need a phrase meaning waiting in order to catch. The correct pattern is waiting to catch, with the infinitive to catch expressing purpose. Step 4: For the third blank, the ball moves in a direction. The natural preposition is towards him because the ball is coming in his direction. Step 5: For the fourth blank, we want to identify the agent of the verb thrown. The passive structure that was thrown by his master uses by to introduce the agent. Step 6: Putting it together, the complete sentence reads: The dog was sitting under the table waiting to catch the ball that was thrown towards him by his master. Step 7: This matches option group under, to, towards, by.


Verification / Alternative check:
Check each option group in the full sentence. Option a gives below, for, to, by, which yields waiting for catch, an incorrect pattern; also thrown to him is acceptable but here the group does not fit every position fully. Option b uses under, for, towards, by, but waiting for catch is again wrong. Option c uses up the table, which is ungrammatical in this context. Only option d produces a correct and natural sentence in all four positions.


Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Using for before catch creates an incorrect verb pattern, because after waiting we normally use to plus base verb to show purpose. Below the table is less idiomatic than under the table but the main error in options a and b is the phrase waiting for catch. Up the table is not correct for location here. Any group that fails in even one blank cannot be accepted.


Common Pitfalls:
Learners sometimes focus on only one or two blanks and choose the option that seems partly correct. However, you must always test the entire group in the full sentence. It is also easy to confuse for and to after verbs like wait. Remember that when we talk about purpose, we normally use the pattern verb plus to plus base form, as in wait to catch or try to learn.


Final Answer:
The fully correct and natural sentence is: The dog was sitting under the table waiting to catch the ball that was thrown towards him by his master. So the correct option group is under, to, towards, by.

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