Difficulty: Easy
Correct Answer: to
Explanation:
Introduction / Context:
This sentence improvement question tests your knowledge of fixed prepositional phrases in English. The expression "access with the President" sounds incorrect. You must identify the preposition that properly completes the common phrase "have access ___ someone" and thus makes the sentence grammatical and idiomatic.
Given Data / Assumptions:
Concept / Approach:
The standard phrase is "have access to" something or someone. It means to have the ability or permission to approach, use, or communicate with that person or thing. We say "access to the internet", "access to information", or "access to the manager". The preposition "with" is not used after "access" in this structure. Therefore, the sentence should read "have access to the President".
Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Recall common collocations: "access to information", "access to the building", "access to the files".
Step 2: Apply this pattern to the sentence: "Only high officials have access to the President." This is both grammatically correct and natural.
Step 3: Test "for": "have access for the President" does not make sense; "for" would suggest purpose rather than the object of access.
Step 4: Test "from": "have access from the President" incorrectly suggests that the President is the source or starting point of access, which is not the intended meaning.
Step 5: Consider "No improvement". Keeping "with" would preserve an incorrect combination "access with", which is not idiomatic.
Step 6: Conclude that "to" is the correct preposition, giving the correct phrase "have access to the President".
Verification / Alternative check:
Use the phrase in similar contexts: "Only authorised staff have access to the laboratory" or "Students have access to the library". In all such cases, the preposition following "access" is "to". If we attempted "access with the laboratory", the phrase would immediately sound strange. This consistency reinforces that "access to" is the only acceptable pattern here.
Why Other Options Are Wrong:
"For" is used in expressions like "work for someone" or "responsible for something", but not with "access". "From" indicates origin, as in "come from the city", which is unrelated to being allowed to approach a person. "No improvement" would highlight "access with" as correct, but standard English grammar strongly prefers "access to". Therefore, these options must be rejected.
Common Pitfalls:
Students often overgeneralise the preposition "with" because it is used in phrases like "meet with" or "talk with". This leads to mistakes such as "access with". To avoid this, learn and memorise fixed expressions: "access to", "relationship with", "agreement with", "permission to". Flashcards or example sentences can help build this memory, improving both written and spoken accuracy.
Final Answer:
to is the correct improvement, giving the sentence "Only high officials have access to the President."
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