Answer the following question below and choose the option that best completes the gap(s) She was............the verge of tears

Analyze the question: The sentence is "She was ____ the verge of tears." We need the preposition that correctly goes with the noun "verge" in this idiom.

Explain the concept: "On the verge of" is a fixed idiomatic phrase meaning "very close to doing or experiencing something." Prepositions in idioms don't follow strict logic, so they must be learned as a set phrase.

Examples:

• She was on the verge of crying.
• The company is on the verge of collapse.
• He was on the verge of giving up.

Step-by-step solution:

1. Identify the phrase: "___ the verge of tears" is the idiom "on the verge of."
2. Test the options: • A. at the verge of: not standard usage. • B. on the verge of: correct idiom. • C. by the verge of: incorrect. • D. with the verge of: incorrect.
3. The correct sentence is: "She was on the verge of tears."

Answer: B (on).

Exam tip: Remember "on the verge," "on the brink," and "on the point of." They all use on and all mean "about to." JAMB often tests fixed preposition phrases like these, so learn them as whole chunks.