Fill in the blanks:

The correct preposition to use in this context is "with". The verb "supply" often takes "with" when indicating what is provided to someone or something. The common structure is "supply [person/thing] with [item]".

    
• Supply someone with something: This means to provide a person with an item or resource. For example, "The examinees will be supplied with paper."
    
• Supply something to someone: This structure is also correct but implies the item is being given to the person. For example, "Paper will be supplied to the examinees."

In the given sentence, "The examinees will be supplied ___ paper", the examinees are receiving the paper, so "with" correctly indicates what they are being equipped or provided with.

The correct preposition to use with the verb 'cure' when referring to an illness or disease is 'of'. This usage signifies relief or freedom from the specified ailment. The structure is typically 'cure (someone) of (an illness)'.

For example:

    
• The doctor cured him of his fever.
    
• She was cured of her chronic headaches.
    
• Modern medicine can cure many people of tuberculosis.

This construction is a common idiomatic expression in English and is essential for precise communication regarding health and medical contexts.

The correct verb to complete the phrase "lodge a complaint" is 'lodge'.

To 'lodge a complaint' is an idiomatic expression meaning to formally register a complaint with an authority or organization. Other suitable verbs include 'file' or 'make'. For example, one might 'file a complaint' with a company about poor service, or 'make a complaint' about a faulty product.

In formal or official contexts, 'lodge' and 'file' are often preferred for their precise and official connotations, indicating that the complaint is being officially recorded and processed.

of

The correct preposition to use with 'guilty' when referring to the crime or offense committed is 'of'. 'Guilty of' is a fixed prepositional phrase in English, meaning responsible for or having committed a particular crime or wrongdoing.

    
• Guilty of: Used to specify the crime or offense someone has committed. (e.g., He was found guilty of fraud.)
    
• Guilty about: Used to describe a feeling of shame or regret over something one has done. (e.g., She felt guilty about shouting at her sister.)

In the given sentence, 'theft' is the crime, so 'of' is the appropriate preposition.

In English grammar, the preposition 'since' is used to indicate the starting point of an action or state that began in the past and continues up to the present moment. It is commonly used with perfect tenses, such as the present perfect simple or present perfect continuous.

The sentence "It has been raining ---- Monday last" uses the present perfect continuous tense ("has been raining") to describe an action that started in the past and is still ongoing. "Monday last" specifies a particular point in time when the action began. Therefore, 'since' is the appropriate preposition to connect the continuous action to its starting point.

Key distinctions:

    
• Since: Used with a specific point in time (e.g., Monday, 1999, 5 o'clock, she left).
    
• For: Used with a duration of time (e.g., two hours, three days, many years, a long time).

Examples:

    
• I haven't seen him since last week.
    
• She has been working here since 2010.
    
• They have lived in Dhaka for five years.
    
• He has been waiting for an hour.

In this context, 'Monday last' clearly denotes the specific starting point, making 'since' the grammatically correct choice.