Complete the sentence: John ___ sports than playing them.

• A. Prefers watching
• B. Enjoys watching
• C. Likes watching
• D. Hates watching

Answer: (A)

The tested idea is how to express a clear preference between two activities using a verb like prefer with a gerund phrase. John is choosing between watching sports and playing them, so the natural way to show that stronger preference is to use prefer followed by the gerund form of the activity.

Prefers watching fits best because it directly states that watching is the chosen option over playing, creating a clean comparison with the other activity mentioned. The structure is a common, natural way to express liking one activity more than another: prefer doing something to doing something else.

The other options alter the nuance or require additional wording to express the comparison clearly. Enjoys watching or Likes watching would typically need more than to express the contrast (for example, enjoys watching more than playing). Hates watching would flip the sentiment and wouldn’t convey a straightforward favorable comparison between watching and playing.