In the following sentence, choose the most appropriate preposition to complete the sentence: “The dog runs ______ the street.”

Introduction / Context:
This question checks the correct choice of a preposition in a simple sentence involving movement. The sentence describes where the dog runs, and we must choose a preposition that gives a natural and meaningful expression in English. While several prepositions can follow verbs of movement, not all will fit the exact meaning intended here.

Given Data / Assumptions:
The sentence is: “The dog runs ______ the street.”
The options are “of,” “with,” “to,” and “about.”
There is no extra context, so we interpret the sentence as a general description of the dog moving around in the street area.
We assume standard English as used in general grammar questions.

Concept / Approach:
The phrase “run about” means to run around in a place in a free and active manner. “The dog runs about the street” suggests that the dog is running here and there in the street. The other prepositions do not create a natural expression in this context. “Run of the street” is incorrect. “Run with the street” is meaningless. “Run to the street” would require an article and would also change the meaning to movement toward the street rather than movement within it. Therefore, “about” is the preposition that best completes the sentence according to normal English usage.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Identify the verb “runs” and the noun “the street” which together require a prepositional phrase. Step 2: Recall common collocations: “run about,” “run along,” “run across,” etc. Step 3: Test each option mentally in the sentence. “Runs of the street” and “runs with the street” clearly sound wrong. Step 4: Consider “runs to the street,” which would describe the dog moving from another place toward the street; this is not clearly supported by the wording “the dog runs ______ the street.” Step 5: Insert “about”: “The dog runs about the street,” which shows lively movement within the area of the street. This fits both meaning and grammar.

Verification / Alternative check:
We can check with similar examples. Sentences such as “Children run about the playground” and “The kittens ran about the house” are perfectly natural. In all these examples, “about” indicates movement in many directions within a limited space. When we transfer this pattern to “The dog runs about the street,” the usage remains correct. None of the other prepositions produce a commonly accepted idiomatic phrase with “runs” and “the street.” This confirms that “about” is the most appropriate choice.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
“of” usually shows possession or relationship (“the roof of the house”) and does not collocate with “runs” in this structure.
“with” suggests accompaniment (“runs with his friend”), but we are not told that the dog is running together with someone or something.
“to” expresses direction toward a destination and would require more context or a slightly different structure (“runs to the street” still feels incomplete without an article or clearer context).

Common Pitfalls:
A frequent mistake is to choose “to” automatically after verbs of movement, because learners remember patterns like “go to school” or “walk to the market.” However, not every movement sentence uses “to”; sometimes the focus is on activity within a place, which often uses “around” or “about.” Another pitfall is ignoring how natural the full phrase sounds. Reading the completed sentence aloud can often reveal which option is truly idiomatic.

Final Answer:
The correct preposition is about, so the complete sentence is: “The dog runs about the street.”