Which sentence uses the idiom ‘abide with’ correctly?

Which sentence uses the idiom ‘abide with’ correctly?

• A. The family decided to abide with their grandmother for the summer.
• B. The family decided to abide by their grandmother for the summer.
• C. The family decided to abide with to their grandmother for the summer.
• D. The family decided to abide by their grandmother for the summer.

Answer: (A)

Abide with is used to mean staying with or living with someone for a period of time. In this sentence, the family plans to stay at their grandmother’s house for the summer, so using abide with their grandmother accurately conveys that idea. Abide by, on the other hand, means to follow or comply with rules, laws, or guidelines, not a person. So using it with their grandmother (as in the other options) doesn’t fit the meaning. The option with an awkward or incorrect arrangement also fails to convey a natural or grammatical sense. Therefore, this sentence correctly uses the idiom to express staying with a person for a period. If you prefer more common language, you could say “stay with their grandmother for the summer,” but the chosen form is still correct for the intended meaning.

Abide with is used to mean staying with or living with someone for a period of time. In this sentence, the family plans to stay at their grandmother’s house for the summer, so using abide with their grandmother accurately conveys that idea.

Abide by, on the other hand, means to follow or comply with rules, laws, or guidelines, not a person. So using it with their grandmother (as in the other options) doesn’t fit the meaning. The option with an awkward or incorrect arrangement also fails to convey a natural or grammatical sense.

Therefore, this sentence correctly uses the idiom to express staying with a person for a period. If you prefer more common language, you could say “stay with their grandmother for the summer,” but the chosen form is still correct for the intended meaning.