Select the most appropriate option that can substitute the underlined segment in the given sentence. RN Right’s literary works helped redefine discussions in race relations in America in the mid-20th century.
- (a)to race relations in America
- (b)beside race relations in America
- (c)of race relations in America
- (d)by race relations in America
Answer
Why
Correct — C. The underlined segment has to link discussions to its subject matter, and the noun discussion takes of for that job — also about or on, but never in.
So the sentence reads: helped redefine discussions of race relations in America → option (c). Race relations are what is being discussed.
Note that the second in, in America, is untouched and correct. That one marks a place, which is work in does well.
Why the others are wrong
- (a)to race relations in America — To marks a direction or a recipient. You contribute to a discussion or return to a topic, but discussions to race relations names no relation English uses.
- (b)beside race relations in America — Beside means physically next to, and it has no topic sense at all. It is also commonly confused with besides, which means in addition.
- (d)by race relations in America — By marks the agent or the means, so this reads as though race relations were the party doing the discussing rather than the thing discussed.
Concept
Abstract nouns take fixed prepositions, and the pairings are settled by usage rather than by any rule you can derive.
Discussion of the budget, insight into a problem, solution to a puzzle, reason for the delay, effect on prices: each pairing has to be learnt, and SSC tests them by swapping in a preposition that is plausible somewhere else.
The give-away in this item is that the sentence already uses in correctly a few words later, for the place. The same preposition cannot also mark the topic.
The writer's name is reproduced as the paper prints it. The item turns on the preposition and nothing else, so do not spend time on who is meant.
Key facts
- Discussion takes of, about or on for its subject matter: a discussion of the budget.
- Beside means next to, while besides means in addition.
- A by-phrase marks the agent or the means, which is why it cannot introduce a topic.
Study next
Common traps
- Reading the sentence aloud and accepting in because it is not obviously jarring.
- Choosing to by analogy with contribute to a discussion.
- Assuming the underlined segment must be replaced by the longest option.
SSC underlines a short segment and offers four near-identical replacements, so the difference is usually one word — here, a preposition.
Segment substitution also runs at English Q.20 of this 26 Sep 2024, 9:00 am sitting, where costly than has to become costlier, and at English Q.1, where the idiom make a beeline for is replaced by its meaning.
Related PYQs
No directly related past PYQ was found.