What is the jury's … the matter.

Analyze the question: The sentence is "What is the jury's _ the matter?" It tests which preposition correctly follows the noun "verdict".

Explain the concept: Some nouns take fixed prepositions (this is called a dependent preposition). "Verdict" is followed by on when it refers to the subject being judged.

• The jury's verdict on the case
• The committee's verdict on the proposal

A verdict is a decision or judgement given about a matter, so "on" is the right preposition.

Solution, checking each option:

• A. "Verdict with the matter": wrong, because "with" does not indicate the subject of a judgement.
• B. "Verdict on the matter": correct. This is the standard collocation.
• C. "Verdict at the matter": wrong, because "at" suggests a place or a target.
• D. "Verdict from the matter": wrong, because "from" suggests origin, not the subject being judged.

The completed sentence is: "What is the jury's verdict on the matter?"

Exam tip: Learn the common noun and preposition pairs. "Verdict on", "decision on", "opinion on" and "ruling on" all use on when you are judging or giving a view about something.