Shakespeare had always been desirous _______ captivating the audience.
Show answer & explanation
Correct answer: C
Explanation
The complete sentence is:
"Shakespeare had always been desirous of captivating the audience."
In English, certain adjectives are followed by specific prepositions. This is known as a "fixed prepositional phrase."
Rule: The adjective desirous is always followed by the preposition "of".
Structure: Desirous + of + [Noun/Gerund (-ing form)].
It means "having or characterized by desire" or "wanting something very much."