NECO 2005 English Language · Question 19

Choose from the options lettered A - E the one that most appropriately completes each sentence The suspects…

Question

Choose from the options lettered A - E the one that most appropriately completes each sentence The suspects did not know that the security agents were ..............their trail.

A.about
B.after
C.in
D.on
E.with

Answer: D. on

Explanation written with AI and checked against the answer key

Analyze the question: We need the preposition that correctly completes the idiom "on their trail."

Explain the concept: The phrase "on the trail of someone" or "on someone's trail" means to be following or pursuing a person, usually to catch them. English idioms use fixed prepositions, so you must learn them as units.

Solution:

A. about their trail: Not an English idiom. Wrong.
B. after their trail: We say "after them" (pursuing them), but not "after their trail." Wrong.
C. in their trail: Not idiomatic here. Wrong.
D. on their trail: Correct. "On someone's trail" means in pursuit of them.
E. with their trail: Makes no sense. Wrong.

Completed sentence: "The suspects did not know that the security agents were on their trail."

Note: Option B can tempt you because "after" means "chasing." But "were after their trail" is not standard, whereas "were after them" would be fine. The word "trail" demands "on."

Tip: Remember the related fixed phrases: on the trail of, on the track of, on the heels of, on someone's tail. All use on for pursuit.

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