Fill in the blank with the most appropriate preposition: 'I settled ______ Canada last year.'

Introduction / Context:
This question checks correct prepositional usage with the verb settle when referring to a country or city. The sentence given is: I settled ______ Canada last year. Prepositions that show location or place, such as in, at, and on, often cause confusion for learners, and exam questions frequently target these small but important details. Choosing the right preposition is necessary for natural sounding English.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• Sentence: I settled ______ Canada last year.
• The blank must be filled with a preposition.
• Options provided are at, in, off, and on.
• Canada is the name of a country, not a small specific point.

Concept / Approach:
When talking about living or establishing residence in a country, city, or large area, English normally uses the preposition in. We say live in India, settle in Canada, or work in London. The preposition at is usually used for specific points, such as at the bus stop or at the office, while on is often used for surfaces or some forms of transportation, such as on the table or on a bus. The word off is not used to mark residence or location in this context. Therefore, with the verb settled and a country name, in is the correct preposition.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Identify the verb and object: settled and Canada.Step 2: Recall standard expressions. We normally say settle in a place when we talk about choosing a place to live permanently.Step 3: Try Option B: in. The sentence becomes I settled in Canada last year. This sounds natural and grammatically correct.Step 4: Try Option A: at. I settled at Canada last year sounds wrong because at does not collocate with a large geographic area like a country in this meaning.Step 5: Try Option C: off. I settled off Canada last year is incorrect; off suggests separation or movement away, not residence in a country.Step 6: Try Option D: on. I settled on Canada last year could mean I chose Canada as an option, but it changes the meaning from living there to making a decision. For the intended sense of residence, this is not suitable.Step 7: Conclude that in is the correct preposition for expressing the idea of settling in a country.

Verification / Alternative check:
Compare similar sentences: They settled in Australia five years ago, She lives in Germany, and We moved in France is wrong; it should be We moved to France and then settled in France. All these examples confirm that in is the normal preposition to show that someone lives inside the boundaries of a country or city. The phrase settle on can exist but it means decide on, as in They finally settled on a plan, which is a different meaning. Hence, for the sense of permanent residence, in is required.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:

• Option A: at suggests a precise point, such as at school or at home, but not a large country when describing residence.
• Option C: off indicates separation or removal, as in take off or jump off, and does not fit the idea of settling somewhere.
• Option D: on could create a different meaning (deciding on Canada rather than living there), but in the context of this sentence, it is not the intended sense.

Common Pitfalls:
Students sometimes confuse in and at because both can refer to places. A useful guideline is that in is used for larger areas (cities, countries, rooms) while at is used for specific points or events (at the station, at a concert). Another pitfall is not noticing how a verb like settle changes meaning when followed by different prepositions, such as settle in a place versus settle on an option. Practising with common verb plus preposition combinations can significantly improve accuracy in these questions.

Final Answer:
The correct preposition is in, so the sentence should read: I settled in Canada last year.