In the following passage about North American birds, choose the most appropriate prepositional phrase to complete the sentence: “__________ of the purple and bronzed grackles, the Rockies boast of Brewer blackbird, whose habits are not as prosaic as his name would indicate.”

Introduction / Context:
This question examines the learner's understanding of prepositional phrases that show replacement or contrast between two things. The passage compares certain birds that occur in different regions. The sentence tells us that rather than one well known group of birds, the region has another bird species. To express this idea of replacement, English uses a specific phrase, and recognising that phrase is essential to answering correctly.

Given Data / Assumptions:
The sentence to complete is: “__________ of the purple and bronzed grackles, the Rockies boast of Brewer blackbird, whose habits are not as prosaic as his name would indicate.”
The options are “Beside,” “Next,” “Instead,” and “Near.”
The context suggests that the presence of Brewer blackbird is being contrasted with the more familiar purple and bronzed grackles.
We assume the passage is standard descriptive English taken from a nature or geography reading passage.

Concept / Approach:
The structure that naturally fits this type of contrast is “instead of.” It expresses the idea that one thing or group appears in place of another. “Instead of the purple and bronzed grackles, the Rockies boast of Brewer blackbird” means that where one might expect to see grackles, we actually see Brewer blackbird. The other options are mainly spatial prepositions that show location rather than substitution. Therefore, we select the preposition that clearly indicates replacement.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Understand the meaning. The sentence contrasts expected birds (grackles) with the birds actually found (Brewer blackbird). Step 2: Identify which prepositional phrase can show replacement. “Instead of” is used when one thing takes the place of another. Step 3: Insert “Instead” into the blank: “Instead of the purple and bronzed grackles, the Rockies boast of Brewer blackbird.” Step 4: Read the sentence as a whole and confirm that it now clearly expresses the intended meaning. Step 5: Test the other options and observe that they fail to express the idea of substitution.

Verification / Alternative check:
To verify, replace the phrase with a simpler sentence: “Instead of apples, we bought oranges.” This is a classic example of substitution. Applying the same logic to birds confirms that “Instead of the purple and bronzed grackles...” is correct. If we try “Beside the purple and bronzed grackles” or “Near the purple and bronzed grackles,” the sentence changes to a statement about physical closeness, not replacement. “Next of the purple and bronzed grackles” is ungrammatical. This confirms that “Instead” is the only suitable choice.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
“Beside” indicates position at the side of something, which would mean the birds are located side by side, not that one group replaces another.
“Next” usually appears in the phrase “next to,” and on its own it does not introduce a noun phrase in this way.
“Near” again shows physical closeness, not substitution or contrast, so it does not match the sense of the sentence.

Common Pitfalls:
Students sometimes choose a preposition only because it sounds familiar, without checking whether the meaning fits the sentence. Another pitfall is ignoring the broader context of contrast and reading the sentence as if it only described location. Always identify the relationship being expressed: is it location, time, cause, or replacement? Once you see that the sentence is saying “in place of these birds, you find another,” the choice of “Instead of” becomes obvious.

Final Answer:
The correct phrase is expressed by Instead, giving the sentence: “Instead of the purple and bronzed grackles, the Rockies boast of Brewer blackbird, whose habits are not as prosaic as his name would indicate.”