She prefers singing ........ dancing

Analyze the question: The sentence compares two activities: singing and dancing. The blank needs the word that correctly follows the verb "prefers" when two activities are being compared.

Explain the concept: The verb prefer takes "to", not "than", when comparing two things:

• She prefers tea to coffee.
• He prefers walking to driving.

"Than" is used with comparative adjectives and adverbs (taller than, faster than) and with "rather" (I would rather sing than dance). It is not used directly after "prefer" in this pattern.

Solution, checking each option:

• A. besides means "in addition to", so it doesn't express preference between two things. ❌
• B. aside means "to one side", which doesn't fit here. ❌
• C. than is incorrect after "prefers" in standard English. ❌
• D. to is the correct preposition, so "She prefers singing to dancing." ✅

Answer: The correct option is D. to.

Tip: Remember the pairing prefer ... to. Only use "than" with would rather:

• She prefers singing to dancing.
• She would rather sing than dance.