Question

Fill the blank with correct preposition. He swam ______ the river boldly.

• A. over
• B. on
• C. across
• D. into

Hint:

'Across' is used for movement from one side to the opposite side of a flat surface or a body of water like a river or road.

Answer 1

The Correct Option is C

Step 1: Understand the context of the sentence and the act of swimming a river.
The sentence describes someone swimming "the river." This implies traversing its width, moving from one bank to the opposite bank.

Step 2: Analyze the meaning of each preposition in the context of movement and location.
(1) over: 'Over' typically implies movement above something, or from one side to the other, potentially clearing an obstacle. For a river, "swam over" would generally mean swimming above the water, or perhaps swimming over a very small stream. It doesn't convey swimming through the water from one bank to another.
(2) on: 'On' refers to a position on the surface of something. While one might float on the river, "swam on the river" doesn't accurately describe the act of swimming across its width.
(3) across: 'Across' signifies movement from one side of something to the other. "Swam across the river" perfectly describes the action of swimming from one bank of the river to the other bank, traversing its entire width.
(4) into: 'Into' indicates movement from outside to inside something. "Swam into the river" would mean entering the river from the bank, but it doesn't convey the completion of the journey to the other side.

Step 3: Conclude the most appropriate preposition.
Based on the meaning of the prepositions and the context of swimming a river, 'across' is the most suitable preposition to indicate movement from one side of the river to the other.