Question

The commercial airliner flew too close to the military base, an act that the army saw as a violation of its air space.

• A. as
• B. as if it was
• C. to be
• D. that it was
• E. for

Hint:

Pay attention to verb and preposition pairings. Common idiomatic constructions tested include "regard as," "different from," "prohibit from," "capable of," and "distinguish between."

Answer 1

The Correct Option is A

Step 1: Understanding the Concept:
This question tests knowledge of standard English idioms. Certain verbs are idiomatically paired with specific prepositions or constructions.
Step 2: Detailed Explanation:
The sentence uses the construction "saw [something] as [something else]." This is the correct and standard idiom in English for expressing perception or characterization. For example, "We see this as an opportunity" or "She is seen as a leader."
The other options are not idiomatic:

"saw... as if it was" is incorrect; "as if" is used for hypothetical comparisons.
"saw... to be" is sometimes used but is generally considered less standard and more awkward than "saw... as."
"saw... that it was" creates a different grammatical structure and is not the correct idiom here.
"saw... for" is incorrect.
Since the original sentence uses the correct idiom, option (A) is the best choice.
Step 3: Final Answer:
The idiom "to see something as something else" is the correct construction, making the original sentence correct.