Difficulty: Easy
Correct Answer: endowed with
Explanation:
Introduction / Context:
This sentence improvement question checks your knowledge of the standard preposition that follows the verb "endowed." The sentence refers to Keshav having certain natural talents. To express this meaning correctly, we must use the right prepositional phrase with "endowed."
Given Data / Assumptions:
Concept / Approach:
In standard English usage, the common and correct collocation is "endowed with something" when we talk about a person having special qualities, abilities, or features. For example, "She is endowed with beauty and intelligence." There is also a less common pattern "endow something on someone," but that has a different structure and is not used in this passive form with "on" directly before the thing possessed. In this sentence, the subject is the person who has the talents, so the construction must be "was endowed with rare talents."
Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Identify that "endowed" is used in the passive voice: "was endowed."
Step 2: Recognise that Keshav is the receiver of the talents, and "rare talents" are the qualities he has.
Step 3: Recall the collocation "endowed with" to describe someone who naturally possesses certain qualities.
Step 4: Replace "on" with "with" to create the phrase "was endowed with rare talents."
Step 5: Check the full sentence: "Keshav was endowed with rare talents from a very young age." This is now grammatically correct and idiomatic.
Verification / Alternative check:
Think of similar sentences: "The region is endowed with natural beauty," or "He is endowed with great intelligence." In each example, "with" is used to connect the subject and the qualities they possess. This matches the structure needed in the given sentence, which confirms that "endowed with" is the correct phrase.
Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Option A: "endowed of" is not a standard expression and does not appear in correct English usage for this meaning.
Option B: "endowed upon" is part of a different pattern, usually "to endow something upon someone," such as "The foundation endowed a scholarship upon the student." It is not used as "was endowed upon rare talents," which would reverse the roles.
Option D: "No improvement" is wrong because "endowed on rare talents" is ungrammatical and not idiomatic.
Common Pitfalls:
A common problem is confusing "endowed with" and "endow something on." Learners may also attempt to guess prepositions instead of remembering the collocation. In English, many verbs and adjectives prefer fixed prepositions, such as "interested in," "capable of," and "endowed with." Memorising such patterns is very helpful for scoring well in sentence improvement questions.
Final Answer:
The correct improvement is "endowed with," so the sentence should read: Keshav was endowed with rare talents from a very young age.
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