Question

Choose the appropriate preposition and fill in the blank:

I was surprised _____ the way he behaved. It was completely out of character.

• A. of
• B. with
• C. to
• D. by

Answer 1

Answer: (D)

by

The given sentence concerns about the way 'he' behaves. Therefore 'by' is the suitable answer. So option D is correct. On the other hand 'of' is used to denote a belonging or relation. Thus option A is incorrect. The preposition 'with' is used to denote the presence of something or someone, while 'to' is used to depict a certain direction. Since the sentence concerns about the way he behaves, 'to' and 'by' are unsuitable in the given context. Thus they are incorrect.

The completed sentence thus becomes: I was surprised by the way he behaved . It was completely out of character.