Step 1: Understanding the Concept:
English grammar features "Fixed Prepositions," which are specific prepositions that must follow certain verbs, adjectives, or nouns regardless of the broader context.
Unlike general prepositions of place or time, these are idiomatic and must be memorized as standardized pairings.
The sentence provided tests two common pairings related to legal and professional accountability.
Step 2: Detailed Explanation:
Let's analyze each blank individually:
First Blank: "Accused \_\_\_\_"
In standard English, the verb \(accuse\) is always followed by the preposition "of" when referring to the charge or fault.
Example: "He was accused of theft."
Using "for" or "with" is a common error (often confused with the phrase "charged with").
Thus, the first blank must be "of."
Second Blank: "Responsible \_\_\_\_"
The adjective \(responsible\) indicates accountability. When followed by an event, outcome, or failure, it is consistently paired with "for."
Example: "The pilot was held responsible for the crash."
If we were talking about being responsible {to} an authority, we would use "to," but for a situation like "the failure," "for" is the only correct idiomatic choice.
Synthesis:
Combining these results, we need the pair "of, for."
This aligns perfectly with option (a).
Using option (b) reverses them, option (c) uses the wrong preposition for accuse, and option (d) uses an incorrect preposition for responsible.
Step 3: Final Answer:
The correct prepositions are "of, for," which corresponds to option (a).