Complete the following sentence with most appropriate choice.
'He was very much ashamed ____ his mischief.'

Question

Complete the following sentence with most appropriate choice. 
'He was very much ashamed ____ his mischief.'

Accepted Answer

The correct answer is Option 1 because 'of' is the standard and grammatically correct preposition to use with the adjective 'ashamed' when referring to the cause or object of the shame.

**Explanation for Option 1 (of):**
The phrase "ashamed of" is a fixed idiomatic expression in English. When someone feels guilt, embarrassment, or regret about their own actions, behavior, or a characteristic, the preposition 'of' is consistently used. For example, one is "ashamed of their past," "ashamed of their mistakes," or "ashamed of themselves." In the given sentence, "He was very much ashamed of his mischief," 'of' correctly indicates that his mischief is the reason or object of his shame. This usage is widely accepted and grammatically sound in English.

**Explanation for Option 2 (for):**
While 'for' can indicate a reason or cause, "ashamed for" is not the standard collocation when expressing shame about one's own actions. "Ashamed for someone" typically means feeling shame on behalf of another person, not for one's own deeds. For instance, "I was ashamed for him when he behaved badly." Since the sentence implies the subject is ashamed of *his own* mischief, 'for' is inappropriate here.

**Explanation for Option 3 (with):**
The preposition 'with' is generally used to indicate accompaniment, possession, or the instrument used. "Ashamed with" is not a recognized or grammatically correct idiom in English to express the cause of shame. One might be "angry with" someone or "pleased with" a result, but not "ashamed with" an action.

**Explanation for Option 4 (over):**
'Over' can indicate position, completion, or concern about something. However, "ashamed over" is not a standard or idiomatic expression in English. While one might be "concerned over" an issue or "upset over" a situation, 'over' is not used with 'ashamed' to denote the object of shame.