Select the appropriate option to complete the following sentence with the correct pair of preposition and pronoun:
Erica York was a self-taught mathematician who liked to spend hours _____ in the library.
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 2
The correct answer is Option (2) → by herself
Complete sentence: Erica York was a self-taught mathematician who liked to spend hours by herself in the library. A self-taught mathematician who liked to spend hours in the library spent them on her own.
| Option | Form and use | Example |
|---|---|---|
| (1) about herself | on the subject of herself. "Spend hours about herself" makes no sense. | She wrote an essay about herself. |
| (2) by herself (answer) | By herself means alone, without anyone else. | The little girl finished the puzzle by herself. |
| (3) with her | in the company of another woman. "Her" here would refer to some other person, not Erica. | Riya went to the market with her. |
| (4) for herself | for her own benefit. It does not describe being alone. | She bought a new watch for herself. |