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This question came in the Dhaka University admission exam 2015-16
Q) Most metals expand and contract__________ variations___________ temperature
(a) with, in
(b) from, of
(c) by, of
(d) to, from
Question bank says the answer is (c). I think that the answer is (a). Which is the correct answer?
Yes it should be (a). "Variation of" is used to compare two things that doesn't necessarily mean the same thing. While "variation in" is talking about slight differences in the objects. So in this case we are taking about the change of the same thing, which is the temperature.
You cannot really say that something expands and contracts by a variation of something, it's better to say "with".
Source: ELU
