Correct Answer:
B. of
Explanation:
The correct answer is of because 'accused' is a dependent adjective that forms a fixed prepositional phrase with the word 'of'.
- Step 1 (Grammatical Rule): In standard English collocations, verbs and adjectives relating to legal charges or blame follow strict idiom constraints. The adjective 'accused' must always be followed by 'of' before stating the crime.
- Step 2 (Application): This creates the seamless legal expression 'accused of theft,' meaning to be formally blamed or charged with stealing.
- Incorrect Options:
- with is a common error; while you can be 'charged with' a crime, you cannot be 'accused with' it.
- from is incorrect because it denotes origins or separations and is completely incompatible with the verb 'accuse'.
- by is incorrect because it modifies the agent performing the action (e.g., accused by the police), not the underlying crime itself.