I have always preffered unripe plantain … yam

Analyze the question The sentence is "I have always preferred unripe plantain ___ yam." This tests which preposition goes with the verb prefer.

Explain the concept In standard English, prefer takes "to" when you compare two things:

• prefer X to Y

We do not use than or from with prefer. Than is used with rather (e.g., "I would rather eat plantain than yam"). From goes with words like differ or different. For does not express this kind of comparison after prefer.

Step-by-step solution

1. The verb is preferred, so we need its correct preposition.
2. The two things being compared are unripe plantain and yam.
3. The pattern is "prefer X to Y", so the sentence becomes: "I have always preferred unripe plantain to yam."
4. Check the other options: • B. than: wrong, because prefer does not pair with than in standard usage. • C. from: wrong, because it is not used for preference. • D. for: wrong, because it does not fit the structure.

Answer: A. to

Exam tip Remember "prefer to", and think "I prefer one thing to another." Other words that also take to are superior to, inferior to, and senior to. Words that take than are comparatives like better than and rather than.