An act of cleanliness is to dispose _____  useless items.

1. Analyze the question The sentence asks for the correct preposition or particle to follow the verb "dispose." This tests knowledge of verb-preposition collocation.

2. Explain the concept The verb dispose is almost always followed by "of" when it means to get rid of something:

• dispose of waste
• dispose of old items

Some similar phrasal verbs work differently. For example, "throw away" and "get rid of" are fine, but "dispose away," "dispose with," and "dispose off" are not standard English.

3. Step-by-step solution

• The sentence: "An act of cleanliness is to dispose ___ useless items."
• "Dispose" meaning "get rid of" needs the preposition of.
• Test each option: • A. dispose away is incorrect, because "away" is not used with dispose. • B. dispose of is correct, the standard collocation. • C. dispose with is incorrect. (Note: "dispense with" is a real phrase, which is why it can tempt you.) • D. dispose off is incorrect. This is a very common mistake, but "off" is not the right word.

Correct sentence: "An act of cleanliness is to dispose of useless items."

4. Answer The correct option is B. of.

5. Exam tip Remember: "Dispose OF, Dispense WITH." Examiners love to use "off" and "with" as distractors, so memorize this pair. Also, "dispose off" is a common error in everyday Nigerian usage, so watch out for it in exams.