The incumbent chairman won the election by a … of twenty votes.

Analyze the question

The sentence is "The incumbent chairman won the election by a __ of twenty votes." We need the word that correctly describes the difference between the winner's votes and the runner-up's votes.

Explain the concept

In elections, the phrase "win by a margin of..." is the standard collocation. A margin is the amount by which one candidate beats another.

Check each option

• A. surplus means an excess or leftover amount, such as a budget surplus. We don't say "won by a surplus of votes."
• B. concensus is a misspelling of consensus, which means general agreement. It doesn't describe a numerical difference in votes, and it doesn't fit "by a ___ of twenty votes."
• C. space refers to room or an area, so it doesn't fit.
• D. margin means the difference between the winning and losing scores or votes. It fits perfectly: "won by a margin of twenty votes."

Answer

The correct option is D. margin.

Tip

Memorize these common collocations: "win by a margin of...", "a narrow/wide margin", and "a majority of...". In exams, when a word follows "by a ___ of" in an election or contest, think margin first. Also remember that consensus is spelled with only one "c" in the middle, and it means agreement, not a number.