(i) The poet’s mother was stung __________ a scorpion. (ii) "Please write __________ what I tell you, otherwise you will forget," the teacher said. (iii) The dog was hiding __________ the bed, barking at the stranger. (iv) Sheila’s grandmother found it difficult to climb __________ the steep staircase. (v) The soldier fought bravely __________ his country. (vi) There is no use crying __________ spilt milk. (vii) I don’t know what they were arguing __________ but I could hear angry voices. (viii) The school playground is out __________ bounds for the pupils of the primary school.

(i) by (ii) down (iii) under (iv) up (or: down) (v) for (vi) over (vii) about (or: over) (viii) of

HOW THE 4 MARKS ARE AWARDED: half a mark per blank.

Blank by blank: (i) stung BY a scorpion — BY marks the AGENT in a passive sentence. Compare "killed by", "written by", "bitten by". This is the same "by" you meet in voice questions. (ii) write DOWN — the phrasal verb meaning to record in writing. The teacher’s reason ("otherwise you will forget") confirms it. (iii) UNDER the bed — position beneath. "Behind" is possible in life but "under" is the expected answer for a hiding dog. (iv) climb UP the staircase — movement to a higher level. (DOWN is also accepted, since a steep staircase is difficult in both directions.) (v) fought FOR his country — on its behalf. Note that fought AGAINST would reverse the meaning entirely, making him the enemy. (vi) crying OVER spilt milk — a PROVERB, and proverbs must be learnt whole. Never "crying for" or "crying about" in this phrase. (vii) arguing ABOUT — the subject of a dispute. "Over" is equally idiomatic. (viii) out OF bounds — fixed idiom meaning forbidden territory.

Two of these — the proverb and "out of bounds" — cannot be reasoned out and must simply be known.