Preposition choice with "sit" and physical proximity: fill in the correct preposition to express adjacency to a person. Complete: I hate sitting ____ him as he always smells of garlic. Select the preposition of place that precisely means "next to".

Given data

• Sentence: I hate sitting ____ him as he always smells of garlic.
• Options: beside, besides, along, at.

Concept/Approach
Beside (no -s) is the preposition of place meaning next to. Besides (with -s) means in addition to and changes the meaning. Along/at do not express immediate adjacency to a person in this construction.

Option analysis
beside — correct for physical adjacency (sit beside someone). ✅besides — additive meaning; incorrect here. ❌along — would require alongside to approach the meaning; still unnatural with sit. ❌at — general location, not adjacency. ❌

Final Answer
beside