Complex Prepositions — Reference, Comparison & Relation (C2)

Your task

Fill in the gap in each sentence with the correct word or phrase.

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Keep practising! Focus on the explanations below.

The standing committee has not yet taken a formal position with to the proposed amendments to the constitution due for second reading in October. (one word)

Correct answer: respect

"With respect to X" and "with regard to X" are the standard high-register topic introducers, broadly interchangeable in formal prose. "With reference to" would also fit semantically but tends to cite a SPECIFIC prior document; the present sentence introduces a topic, not a referenced communication.

As the second of the proposed amendments, the legal team has flagged a potential conflict with the data-protection clauses already in force across the region. (one word — six letters)

Correct answer: regards

"As regards X" = "concerning X" — a formal topic preposition. Note the FIXED plural -s form: "as regards" (never "*as regard"). The phrase is one of the few complex prepositions in English where the verb retains its third-person -s ending in this fossilised usage.

The proposed new dress-code policy is in with the formal conventions of comparable institutions across the higher-education sector. (one word — present participle)

Correct answer: keeping

"In keeping with X" = "consistent with X" / "in conformity with X" — a formal complex preposition expressing CONGRUENCE between two things. "In line with" and "in accordance with" are close synonyms (already tested at C1); "in agreement with" implies explicit consent of parties, not abstract consistency.

The new training model favours adaptive learning rates that respond to gradient variance, as to the static schedules used in the original implementation. (one word — past participle)

Correct answer: opposed

"As opposed to X" = "rather than X" — introduces a deliberately REJECTED alternative for the sake of comparison. The fixed past-participle form is non-negotiable: "*as opposing to" is wrong. "Distinct from" works semantically but breaks the "as ___ to" frame; "contrasted" would need "in contrast to".

Year-on-year revenue growth is up by 4.2 per cent, although the figure looks modest by with the 11 per cent growth posted by the company's nearest competitor in the same period. (one word)

Correct answer: comparison

"By comparison with X" = "relative to X" / "compared to X" — a formal comparative preposition introducing the benchmark against which something is measured. Note: "by comparison" alone can stand without a complement as a sentence linker; the full "by comparison with" requires the with-phrase that follows.

The current committee has taken a notably interventionist stance on financial markets, in to the largely hands-off approach of the previous administration. (one word)

Correct answer: contrast

"In contrast to X" introduces an EXPLICIT OPPOSITE for rhetorical effect — sharpening the difference between two stances rather than merely noting it. "Opposition" would shift to "in opposition to", which is confrontational (one party actively opposes the other); "comparison" is neutral and does not signal the deliberate antithesis the sentence requires.

Two further individuals have been arrested in with the cyber-fraud investigation announced by the National Crime Agency earlier this week. (one word)

Correct answer: connection

"In connection with X" = "linked to X" — characteristic of formal/journalistic register, particularly the established collocation in legal and investigative reporting (arrests, inquiries, charges). "Relation" works in some contexts but suggests a more abstract analytical link; "association" is possible but markedly less idiomatic with "arrested".

With to your letter of the seventeenth of last month, I am pleased to confirm that the requested documentation has now been despatched by overnight courier. (one word)

Correct answer: reference

"With reference to X" is the standard formal-correspondence opener for CITING A SPECIFIC PRIOR COMMUNICATION (here, a dated letter). "With respect to" and "with regard to" are broader topic introducers — they would be grammatically acceptable but lose the citation-of-a-specific-document register that "with reference to" carries.

The ministry has commissioned a fresh review in to the long-term sustainability of the rural transport subsidy under the post-2027 funding settlement. (one word)

Correct answer: relation

"In relation to X" = "concerning X" / "with regard to X" — a formal, ANALYTICAL topic preposition, broader than "with reference to" (which cites a specific document) and more abstract than "in connection with" (which suggests a direct factual link). "Reference" would imply a prior document; "comparison" would signal a comparative study.

The two consultancy proposals are broadly equivalent in of overall cost, but they diverge sharply on delivery timeline and post-implementation support. (one word)

Correct answer: terms

"In terms of X" introduces the DIMENSION along which a comparison or evaluation is being made — here, cost as the axis of equivalence. "Respect" would need "in respect of", which means "regarding" (topic), not "along the dimension of" (axis); "reference" is wrong: "in reference to" cites a prior mention, not a dimension.

The home secretary was conspicuously reluctant to comment to the timing of the announcement, citing unspecified operational security considerations. (one word — two letters)

Correct answer: as

"As to X" = "concerning X" — a formal topic preposition, common after verbs of speech, opinion and uncertainty ("comment as to", "uncertain as to", "say nothing as to"). The two-letter answer rules out "with regard / with respect / in relation", all of which would require additional words ("with regard to", "with respect to") before "to".

The trust's building committee has voted to renovate the existing Victorian hospital in to commissioning a wholly new structure on the western site. (one word — 10 letters)

Correct answer: preference

"In preference to X" = "rather than X" — with explicit POSITIVE VALUATION of the chosen alternative over the rejected one. "Opposition" implies conflict between parties (wrong here, since the committee is making a single internal choice); "preference" carries the chooser's reasoned endorsement.

All correspondence to the appeal must be marked "strictly confidential" and sent directly to the registrar's office before the close of business on Friday. (one word — present participle)

Correct answer: pertaining

"Pertaining to X" = "relating to X" — a high-register, characteristically LEGAL/ADMINISTRATIVE participle preposition. "Relating to" is the register-neutral alternative; "concerning" carries broader topical sense; "appertaining" is a still more archaic variant largely confined to property and inheritance law.

Under the revised sentencing guidelines, the penalty imposed shall be in to both the gravity of the offence and the financial benefit obtained by the offender. (one word)

Correct answer: proportion

"In proportion to X" = "scaled relative to X" — a formal preposition of PROPORTIONAL SCALING, central to legal doctrine on penalties, taxation and damages. "Relation" works but is too general; "comparison" implies side-by-side ranking rather than scaling; "accordance" would imply rigid match, not gradient scaling.

The new safety protocols have been drafted in with the regional fire authority and the Health and Safety Executive, and will take effect from the first of next month. (one word)

Correct answer: conjunction

"In conjunction with X" = "working JOINTLY with X" — a formal collaborative preposition implying coordinated drafting or authorship between two named bodies. "Cooperation" works as "in cooperation with"; "association" works as "in association with" but suggests looser affiliation; "conjunction" carries the strongest sense of true joint production.

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