Fill in the blank with an appropriate preposition.
Calcutta is _____ the banks of river Hooghly.
(A) above
(B) at
(C) over
(D) on
Choose the correct answer from the options given below:
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 3
The correct answer is Option (3) → (D) Only
A city or town that stands beside a river is said to be on the banks (or on the bank) of the river: on shows position along a line or an edge, such as a river, a coast or a road. So "Calcutta is on the banks of river Hooghly."
Complete sentence: Calcutta is on the banks of river Hooghly.
(A) above — Incorrect.
- Above means at a higher level than.
- A city is not raised over the banks.
- Example: The plane flew above the clouds.
(B) at — Incorrect.
- At marks a point (at the gate, at the station).
- With the banks of a river the usual preposition is "on".
(C) over — Incorrect.
- Over means directly above or across something.
- A bridge is over a river, but a city is on its banks.
- Example: A new bridge has been built over the river.
(D) on — Correct.
- It gives the usual phrase "on the banks of".
Tip: In this question the options do not follow the order of the statements (Option 1 = (A) Only, Option 2 = (B) Only, Option 3 = (D) Only, Option 4 = (C) Only). NTA often jumbles the options in this way, so after finding the correct statement, read the options carefully and mark the one with the right letter.