In the following passage about swimming in the Andamans, choose the correct preposition to complete the phrase:\n"a kinship with the blue waters ________ the Bay of Bengal."

Introduction / Context:
This item is again based on the same descriptive passage about an underwater experience in the Andamans. The narrator says that they suddenly felt "a kinship with the blue waters ________ the Bay of Bengal". The question tests your knowledge of idiomatic preposition use, especially how English expresses relationships and belonging between abstract nouns such as "kinship" and a geographical feature like the "Bay of Bengal".

Given Data / Assumptions:

• The key fragment is "a kinship with the blue waters ________ the Bay of Bengal".
• The noun "kinship" suggests an emotional or spiritual bond.
• "Blue waters" refers to the sea water in the Bay of Bengal.
• Options: "for", "from", "to", and "of".
• We assume standard exam-level English usage, without regional variations.

Concept / Approach:
The grammatical concept is the use of prepositions to show possession, origin, or association. In English, when we specify that something belongs to or is a part of a larger geographical feature or container, we typically use "of": for example, "the waters of the Atlantic", "the plains of India". In the phrase "the waters of the Bay of Bengal", "of" links the waters to the bay as the larger body. The phrase "kinship with the blue waters of the Bay of Bengal" therefore uses "with" for the emotional relationship and "of" to show that those waters belong to or are contained within the Bay.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Identify the structural pattern. The phrase "the blue waters ________ the Bay of Bengal" parallels common constructions like "the hills of the Nilgiris".Step 2: Test "for". "The blue waters for the Bay of Bengal" does not express belonging; it would suggest purpose, which is illogical here.Step 3: Test "from". "The blue waters from the Bay of Bengal" emphasises origin or source, which would slightly change the meaning to refer to water coming out of the bay, not the waters that are part of the bay.Step 4: Test "to". "The blue waters to the Bay of Bengal" is not a standard structure in English and sounds ungrammatical.Step 5: Test "of". "The blue waters of the Bay of Bengal" is a natural, idiomatic phrase that clearly indicates that the waters are those belonging to that bay.

Verification / Alternative check:
You can verify the pattern by substituting similar examples: "waters of the Arabian Sea", "deserts of Rajasthan", "forests of the Amazon". In each case, "of" shows that the first noun is a part or feature of the second. Applying that same logic, "blue waters of the Bay of Bengal" is the only choice that fits both sense and standard collocation. Reading the full sentence with "of" also produces a smooth, poetic rhythm that matches the tone of the passage.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:

• "for": Indicates purpose or benefit, such as "a gift for you", and does not appropriately join a body of water to a geographical region.
• "from": Focuses on origin, as in "water from the tap". While not impossible in some contexts, it shifts the meaning away from describing the bay itself.
• "to": Normally expresses direction or movement, such as "go to the market", and is completely unsuitable here.

Common Pitfalls:
One common mistake is confusing "of" and "from". Students may overgeneralise "from" whenever they think about origin, but in descriptions of geographical features, "of" is overwhelmingly used. Another pitfall is choosing prepositions based on vague familiarity rather than analysing the underlying structure. Whenever you see "waters ___ the ocean", "mountains ___ a region", or "plains ___ a country", train yourself to test "of" first as the default, and then verify against context.

Final Answer:
The correct preposition is "of", so the complete phrase is "a kinship with the blue waters of the Bay of Bengal".