Complex Prepositions in Technical English
0 / 10 completed
1 / 10
An architecture proposal reads: "_____ performance, the new caching strategy reduces P99 latency by 40%."
Which complex preposition correctly introduces the topic being evaluated?
Which complex preposition correctly introduces the topic being evaluated?
In terms of is correct. "In terms of X" frames the dimension or criterion being discussed — here, performance. It is the standard phrase for introducing a specific angle of evaluation in technical documentation. "As a result of" introduces a consequence, not a topic frame. "In accordance with" references compliance with a standard. "Subsequent to" means "after."
2 / 10
A compliance document states: "All data must be processed _____ GDPR Article 6(1) lawful basis requirements."
Which complex preposition signals compliance with a regulation?
Which complex preposition signals compliance with a regulation?
In accordance with is correct. "In accordance with" means "following" or "complying with" a rule, standard, or regulation — it is the standard phrase in legal and compliance writing. "In terms of" frames a topic. "With respect to" introduces a specific aspect or subject. "As a result of" introduces a consequence.
3 / 10
A postmortem summary reads: "_____ the memory leak, the service was restarted three times in 24 hours."
Which complex preposition introduces a cause?
Which complex preposition introduces a cause?
As a result of is correct. "As a result of X, Y happened" is the standard structure for stating a consequence of a cause. "Prior to" means "before." "In terms of" frames a category for comparison. "With a view to" means "with the intention of" — used for stating purposes, not causes.
4 / 10
An API deprecation notice reads: "_____ migrating to v3, all v2 clients must update their authentication headers."
Which complex preposition correctly introduces a prerequisite action?
Which complex preposition correctly introduces a prerequisite action?
Prior to is correct. "Prior to" means "before" in formal technical writing. "Prior to migrating to v3" = "Before migrating to v3." It introduces a prerequisite or precondition. "As a result of" introduces a consequence. "In accordance with" references compliance. "In terms of" frames a topic dimension.
5 / 10
A design document states: "_____ latency, the proposed architecture outperforms the current system by 35% at P99."
Which complex preposition introduces the specific metric being used for comparison?
Which complex preposition introduces the specific metric being used for comparison?
With respect to is correct. "With respect to" introduces a specific subject or dimension being discussed — here, the latency metric. It is equivalent to "regarding" or "concerning" but more formal. "In terms of" is similar and also grammatically possible, but "with respect to" is more commonly used in formal technical documentation when citing a specific metric. "As a result of" introduces a consequence. "Subsequent to" means "after."
6 / 10
A release note reads: "_____ the emergency patch deployment, all affected services returned to nominal operation."
Which complex preposition correctly signals that one event followed another?
Which complex preposition correctly signals that one event followed another?
Subsequent to is correct. "Subsequent to" means "after" or "following" — it is the formal version used in technical and compliance documents. "Prior to" means "before." "In terms of" frames a topic. "In accordance with" signals compliance. Note: "Subsequent to the patch" = "After the patch" — the formal register is appropriate for a release note or incident summary.
7 / 10
An architecture RFC states: "The solution must be designed _____ reducing operational complexity for on-call engineers."
Which complex preposition introduces a goal or purpose?
Which complex preposition introduces a goal or purpose?
With a view to is correct. "With a view to + gerund" means "with the intention/goal of" — it introduces a purpose or aim. "With a view to reducing complexity" = "with the goal of reducing complexity." "As a result of" introduces a consequence. "Subsequent to" means "after." "In terms of" frames a topic for comparison.
8 / 10
Which sentence uses a complex preposition INCORRECTLY?
Option D is incorrect. "Subsequent to" means "after" — it introduces an event that has already happened, not a future intention. "Subsequent to improving performance" implies performance has already been improved, and refactoring comes after. If performance improvement is the future goal, the correct phrase is "With a view to improving performance, the codebase should be refactored." Options A, B, and C all use complex prepositions correctly.
9 / 10
A technical specification states: "The API must be backwards-compatible _____ the previous two major versions."
Which preposition or phrase correctly specifies the scope of compatibility?
Which preposition or phrase correctly specifies the scope of compatibility?
With respect to is correct. "Backwards-compatible with respect to the previous two major versions" specifies the scope of what must remain compatible. Here "with respect to" functions like "regarding" — it introduces the subject of the requirement. "In terms of" also works but is slightly less precise in this context. "In accordance with" implies regulatory compliance, which is not the meaning here. "As far as" followed by a noun is non-standard; "as far as X is concerned" requires a clause.
10 / 10
A security policy states: "_____ any production change, a risk assessment must be completed and approved by the Security team."
Which phrase correctly introduces the prerequisite condition?
Which phrase correctly introduces the prerequisite condition?
Prior to is correct. The policy requires a risk assessment to be done before any production change — "prior to" expresses this "before" relationship in formal language. "As a result of" introduces a consequence (wrong direction of causality here). "Subsequent to" means "after" (the opposite of what is needed). "In terms of" introduces a topic frame, not a time relationship.