Choose the most suitable option to fill in the blank.

In the distance was an ugly building with smoke billowing ______ of tall chimneys.

Correct option is B

Explanation:

The correct answer is out.

The verb "billowing" means to rise, spread, or move outward in a flowing or swirling motion, often used to describe smoke, clouds, or fabric. When smoke comes from a source such as a chimney, the correct preposition to use is "out". The phrase "billowing out of chimneys" correctly describes the action of smoke emerging and spreading from the chimneys.

Information Booster:

Meaning of "Billowing Out":

"Billowing" refers to a rising, rolling, or swelling movement, often of smoke, fabric, or clouds.

The phrase "billowing out" is commonly used to describe smoke or steam spreading from a confined space into the open air.

Example: "Thick black smoke was billowing out of the factory's chimneys."

Writers often use "billowing out" in descriptive settings to illustrate smoke, fog, or steam emerging dramatically from buildings, fires, or industrial sites.

The word "out" correctly conveys that the smoke is exiting the chimney and dispersing into the open air.

Other prepositions do not fit the context as well as "out" does when describing movement from inside to outside.

Additional Knowledge:

During:
"During" is used to indicate time (e.g., "during the meeting") and does not fit the context of smoke movement.

In:
"In" would suggest that the smoke is staying inside the chimneys rather than emerging, which contradicts the idea of billowing.

Toward:
"Toward" implies movement in a direction but does not indicate that the smoke is coming out of something.