English Grammar - Preposition

English Grammar
English Grammar - Preposition

Fill in the blank with correct preposition : The soldiers kept the terrorists ………….. bay.


Options:

  1. at
  2. into
  3. out
  4. in

Right Answer: at

‘To keep at bay’ is a fixed idiomatic expression meaning to hold something dangerous or unwelcome at a distance so that it cannot come close or cause harm, and the preposition in it is invariably ‘at’. The phrase comes from hunting, where a cornered animal turned to face the baying hounds that could not close in on it. In the given sentence the soldiers succeeded in preventing the terrorists from advancing. Substituting ‘into’, ‘out’ or ‘in’ destroys the idiom, since prepositions in such expressions are fixed by usage and cannot be reasoned out.

This question is part of English Grammar - Preposition, which has 6 practice questions with answers.

Recent questions from every quiz

Latest Articles

Published: | Last Updated:
Deepak - Educational Content Creator

Written by Deepak

Educational Content Creator

I am an educational content creator dedicated to making learning simple, engaging, and accessible for students preparing for competitive exams. He specializes in creating high-quality study materials, including notes, multiple-choice questions (MCQs), previous year question papers, practice tests, and exam-oriented resources.

Experience: 10+ years in Education and Competitive Exam Content Creator