Question

Find the correct preposition: The book is written John Green.

• A. By
• B. In
• C. Of
• D. At

Hint:

To understand prepositions in passive voice:
- Use "by" to indicate the agent in passive constructions: "The song was performed by the band."
- Avoid using prepositions like "in," "of," or "at" for agents—they have different roles (e.g., "written in Spanish," "a book of stories").
- Practice with examples: "The poem was written by Emily Dickinson," "The house was designed by an architect."

Answer 1

The Correct Option is A

To determine the correct preposition to fill in the blank in the sentence "The book is written \underline{\hspace{1cm}} John Green," we need to understand the grammatical rules governing the passive voice construction and preposition usage in English.
This question tests your knowledge of prepositions used with passive voice, particularly in theomenti Step 1: Understand the Sentence Structure
The sentence "The book is written \underline{\hspace{1cm}} John Green" is in the passive voice, where the subject (the book) is receiving the action (being written).
In passive constructions, the doer of the action (the agent) is often introduced by a preposition.
Here, "John Green" is the agent—the person who wrote the book—so we need a preposition that correctly indicates the author of the book.
Step 2: Analyze Option A - "By"
Option A suggests the preposition "by," making the sentence: "The book is written by John Green."
In English, the preposition "by" is commonly used in passive voice constructions to indicate the agent performing the action.
For example:
- "The song was sung by Adele." (Adele is the agent who performed the action of singing.)
- "The house was built by my grandfather." (My grandfather is the agent who built the house.)
In this case, "John Green" is the author who wrote the book, so "written by John Green" is grammatically correct and standard in English.
Option A seems correct, but let’s evaluate the other options to confirm.
Step 3: Analyze Option B - "In"
Option B suggests the preposition "in," making the sentence: "The book is written in John Green."
The preposition "in" typically indicates location, time, or manner (e.g., "written in English," "written in 2020").
However, "John Green" is a person, not a language, time, or place. Saying "written in John Green" does not make sense grammatically or semantically, as it implies the book was written inside John Green, which is absurd.
Therefore, option B is incorrect.
Step 4: Analyze Option C - "Of"
Option C suggests the preposition "of," making the sentence: "The book is written of John Green."
The preposition "of" often indicates possession or association (e.g., "a book of poems," "the works of Shakespeare").
However, in this context, "written of John Green" is not a standard construction. It might suggest the book is made of John Green (which is nonsensical) or that the book is about John Green, but the latter would be phrased differently (e.g., "a biography of John Green").
In passive voice, "of" is not used to introduce the agent of the action.
Therefore, option C is incorrect.
Step 5: Analyze Option D - "At"
Option D suggests the preposition "at," making the sentence: "The book is written at John Green."
The preposition "at" typically indicates a specific location or point in time (e.g., "at the library," "at 5 p.m.").
"John Green" is a person, not a place or time, so "written at John Green" is grammatically incorrect and does not convey a meaningful idea.
Therefore, option D is incorrect.
Step 6: Confirm with Standard Usage
In English, when indicating the author of a written work in a passive construction, "by" is the standard preposition:
- "The Fault in Our Stars was written by John Green."
- "This article was written by a journalist."
This usage is consistent across formal and informal writing, confirming that option A, "by," is the correct choice.
Step 7: Why the Other Options Are Incorrect - A Broader Perspective
- Option B ("In"): "In" is used for languages, styles, or time periods (e.g., "written in French"), not for people as agents.
- Option C ("Of"): "Of" might be used in phrases like "a novel of John Green" to mean a novel belonging to him, but not in a passive construction to indicate authorship.
- Option D ("At"): "At" is for locations or times, not for indicating the agent of an action.
Step 8: Key Concepts
- Passive Voice: In passive voice, the subject receives the action, and the agent (doer) is often introduced by "by" (e.g., "The book was written by the author").
- Prepositions with Agents: Use "by" to indicate the agent in passive constructions. Other prepositions like "with" might be used in different contexts (e.g., "written with a pen").
- Authorship: When stating who wrote a book, "by" is the standard preposition in both active and passive voice.