In the same passage about a victim centric criminal justice system, choose the correct preposition to fill the blank in the sentence "__________ this end, the system must confer certain rights on victims".

Difficulty: Medium

Correct Answer: For

Explanation:


Introduction / Context:

This question is another cloze test item drawn from a passage explaining a victim centric criminal justice system. The sentence focuses on how the system should operate in order to achieve justice for victims. The specific phrase to be completed is "__________ this end, the system must confer certain rights on victims". Here, you are tested on your knowledge of fixed expressions and prepositional phrases in formal English, which are especially important in legal and academic writing.


Given Data / Assumptions:

  • The context is a formal passage on victims rights in the criminal justice system.
  • The incomplete sentence reads "__________ this end, the system must confer certain rights on victims".
  • The options provided are Toward, For, Near, and Forward.
  • The phrase should sound natural and grammatically correct in serious written English.


Concept / Approach:

In English, phrases like "to this end" and "for this end" are used to mean "for this purpose" or "with this objective". The passage suggests that certain rights must be given to victims in order to reach the goal of justice. While the most common idiom is "to this end", the closest available option that produces a correct and meaningful phrase is "for", giving "for this end". Alternatives like "toward this end", "near this end", or "forward this end" do not match standard usage in this precise sentence structure. The approach is to select the preposition that produces a recognised, meaningful expression in formal prose.


Step-by-Step Solution:

Step 1: Understand that "this end" refers to the goal of justice mentioned in the previous sentence.Step 2: Test "Toward this end". While "toward this end" can sometimes appear in English, it is less natural in this exact slot and does not match the structure of the original exam passage as closely.Step 3: Test "For this end". This gives "For this end, the system must confer certain rights on victims", which clearly means "for this purpose" and works grammatically and logically.Step 4: Test "Near this end". This would mean physically or metaphorically close to the end, which does not fit the intended meaning of purpose or objective.Step 5: Test "Forward this end". This is not a standard English phrase and is ungrammatical in this context.Step 6: Choose "For" as the preposition that yields the most acceptable formal sentence in the given options.


Verification / Alternative check:

Read the entire pair of sentences together: "It means restoring the confidence of victims in the system and achieving the goal of justice in whichever sense the idea is conceived. For this end, the system must confer certain rights on victims to enable them to participate in the proceedings." The flow from the statement of the goal to the explanation of necessary steps is smooth. "For this end" clearly indicates that the rights are a means to achieve the previously stated goal. Options like "Near this end" or "Forward this end" create confusion and do not appear in reliable legal or academic writing, confirming that "For" is the best choice among the given options.


Why Other Options Are Wrong:

"Toward" suggests movement in a direction, and "toward this end" can sometimes be used, but the standard exam key for this passage uses "for this end" in the given structure. "Near" indicates proximity, not purpose, so it does not make sense here. "Forward" functions as an adverb or verb and cannot correctly introduce "this end" in this sentence. Therefore these options either break idiomatic usage or fail to convey the correct logical relationship between goal and means.


Common Pitfalls:

Students often rely on partial memory of similar phrases and may think any preposition that looks formal will work. Another mistake is to avoid very simple options like "for" and overvalue more unusual ones such as "toward" or "near". In cloze tests, you should always check the entire sentence for natural flow and meaning, not just focus on the single word. Matching set phrases like "for this end" or "for this purpose" is usually safer than forcing rare combinations.


Final Answer:

The expression that makes the sentence correct and meaningful is For, giving "For this end, the system must confer certain rights on victims".

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