WAEC 2010 English Language · Question 72

Mrs. Kofi is angry … her daughter's lack of interest in her business

Question

From the words lettered A to D, choose the word that best completes each of the following sentences: Mrs. Kofi is angry..............her daughter's lack of interest in her business

A.at
B.with
C.for
D.by

Answer: A. at

Explanation written with AI and checked against the answer key

Analyze the question: This tests prepositions that follow the adjective "angry." The sentence is: "Mrs. Kofi is angry ____ her daughter's lack of interest in her business."

Explain the concept: The preposition after "angry" depends on what follows:

angry with + a person (e.g., "She is angry with her brother.")
angry at / about + a thing, action, or situation (e.g., "He was angry at the delay.")

Solution:

Look at what comes after the blank: "her daughter's lack of interest in her business."
This is not the daughter herself (a person). It is a situation or quality, namely her daughter's lack of interest.
When the cause of anger is a thing, action, or situation, we use at (or "about").
So the sentence becomes: "Mrs. Kofi is angry at her daughter's lack of interest in her business."

Why not the others?

with is used directly before a person: "angry with her daughter." Here, the object is "her daughter's lack of interest," which is a situation.
for would be used like "angry with her for neglecting the business," where it is followed by a reason after a person.
by is not used with "angry" in this way.

Answer: A. at

Exam tip: Remember: angry WITH a person, angry AT a thing or situation. Check what comes right after the blank. If it's a person, choose "with." If it's an event or situation, choose "at."

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