Fill in the blanks with correct preposition given below :
The house is ...... fire! We had better get ..........!

Question

Accepted Answer

The correct option is 2:

This question tests your knowledge of common English prepositions, particularly their use in idiomatic expressions and phrasal verbs. The correct answer, Option 2, which is "on, out," perfectly completes the given sentence: "The house is on fire! We had better get out!"

The first blank requires the preposition that correctly completes the idiomatic phrase describing a building burning. The established and universally accepted English idiom for a structure that is actively burning is "on fire." The preposition "on" is used here to denote a state or condition, specifically the state of being consumed by flames. Therefore, "The house is on fire!" is the correct and natural way to express this dangerous situation.

The second part of the sentence, "We had better get ..........!", is a strong suggestion to exit the dangerous place immediately. This requires a phrasal verb or expression indicating movement to the exterior of a contained space. The verb "get" often pairs with the particle "out" to form the phrasal verb "get out," meaning "to leave" or "to escape." In the context of a burning house, "get out" conveys the urgent need for evacuation. Thus, the prepositions "on" and "out" create a grammatically sound, contextually appropriate, and commonly used English sentence conveying urgency in a fire situation.

The incorrect option is 1:
The combination "on, into" results in the sentence: "The house is on fire\! We had better get into\!" While the first part ("on fire") is correct, the second part "get into" is nonsensical and dangerously wrong in this context. "Get into" means to enter a place or situation, which is the exact opposite of what one should do when a house is burning.

The incorrect option is 3:
The combination "in, on" results in the sentence: "The house is in fire\! We had better get on\!" The first preposition "in" is grammatically incorrect when describing a burning state; the correct idiom is "on fire," not "in fire." Furthermore, "get on" generally means to mount something (like a bus), proceed, or continue, and it fails to convey the required sense of urgent evacuation from the building.

The incorrect option is 4:
The combination "above, out" results in the sentence: "The house is above fire\! We had better get out\!" The preposition "above" is completely incorrect here as it suggests a positional relationship, meaning the house is situated over the fire, which is illogical in this context. While "get out" is correct for the second blank, the first preposition makes the entire sentence grammatically flawed and meaningless.