Difficulty: Medium
Correct Answer: in accordance with
Explanation:
Introduction / Context:
This sentence improvement question tests knowledge of a standard formal expression used in legal and official contexts. The sentence refers to paying a specific consideration according to the terms of a contract. In English, there is a fixed phrase in accordance with, which is used to show that an action follows rules, laws, agreements, or instructions. The underlined part of the original sentence does not use this expression correctly, so the learner must choose the option that restores the proper form.
Given Data / Assumptions:
Concept / Approach:
The key concept is the fixed expression in accordance with, which means in agreement with, in line with, or according to. It is commonly used with documents such as contracts, laws, regulations, and instructions. The original phrase with accordance in is incorrect because accordance normally pairs with in and with together as a unit, not with a different preposition order. The approach is to recognise the standard phrase and select the option that exactly matches it, checking that the entire sentence then reads smoothly.
Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Identify the problematic phrase: with accordance in the contract we signed.
Step 2: Recall the correct fixed expression in accordance with, which is regularly used in formal English.
Step 3: Test Option A, by accordance with. This is not a recognised phrase and sounds incorrect.
Step 4: Test Option B, in accordance with. The sentence becomes: had to pay a consideration of fifty pounds in accordance with the contract we signed, which is natural and correct.
Step 5: Test Option C, with accordance to. This again is not a standard combination; accordance is not followed by to in this way.
Step 6: Test No improvement. This would preserve the incorrect form with accordance in, so it cannot be correct.
Step 7: Conclude that in accordance with is the correct replacement.
Verification / Alternative check:
To verify, consider other common uses of this phrase: in accordance with the law, in accordance with company policy, in accordance with the manual, and in accordance with the agreement. These expressions are widely used in formal writing and clearly show that the pattern is in accordance with plus the noun. Replacing the underlined part with in accordance with aligns the sentence with standard legal and administrative language. No other option matches this well established pattern, confirming that Option B is correct.
Why Other Options Are Wrong:
by accordance with: This is not a recognised phrase in English; accordance does not combine with by in this way.
with accordance to: This incorrectly pairs accordance with to the contract, which is not a standard structure; readers would find it awkward and ungrammatical.
No improvement: Keeping with accordance in would leave the sentence clearly incorrect and unidiomatic, which is not acceptable in formal usage.
Common Pitfalls:
Learners often try to form their own combinations based on literal meanings of words, forgetting that many expressions in English are fixed. Another pitfall is mixing parts of different expressions, such as combining in agreement with and in accordance with, creating forms like with accordance to. To avoid such errors, it is important to memorise common legal and formal phrases, including in accordance with, in compliance with, and in line with, and to use them exactly as they appear in reliable sources.
Final Answer:
The underlined phrase should be improved to in accordance with the contract we signed.
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