At the Expense Of
Explore how to describe project trade-offs precisely, from identifying a sacrifice to expressing limits, uncertainty, and priorities.
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Questions with solutions-
1. ਖਾਲੀ ਥਾਂ ਭਰੋ।
The team shortened development time ___ the expense of documentation quality.
- on
- at
- in
- for
This expression uses a fixed preposition before “the expense of.”
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The team shortened development time at the expense of documentation quality.
“At the expense of” connects a gain with something sacrificed to achieve it.
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2. ਸਹੀ ਜਵਾਬ ਚੁਣੋ।
What trade-off does this evaluation describe?
The redesign achieved greater visual polish at the expense of loading speed.
- The product looked better but loaded more slowly.
- The product loaded faster but looked less polished.
- The product looked better and loaded faster.
- The product looked better without any change in loading speed.
Notice which quality appears after “at the expense of.”
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- The product looked better but loaded more slowly.
The quality after “of” is the one that suffers; the gain appears earlier in the sentence.
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3. ਖਾਲੀ ਥਾਂ ਭਰੋ।
The team accelerated sign-off at the expense of ___ all affected departments.
- consult
- to consult
- consulted
- consulting
After a preposition, an action can be expressed with an -ing form.
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The team accelerated sign-off at the expense of consulting all affected departments.
“Of” can introduce a noun or an -ing phrase, allowing the sacrificed priority to be an activity.
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4. ਸਹੀ ਜਵਾਬ ਚੁਣੋ।
What does “expense” refer to here?
Self-service reduced labor costs at the expense of customer convenience: customers now had to complete lengthy forms themselves.
- A fee customers paid to cover staff salaries.
- A charge customers paid to submit each form.
- The additional effort required from customers.
- The company's increased spending on customer assistance.
The sentence describes a burden, not a payment.
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- The additional effort required from customers.
In a trade-off, “expense” need not mean money; it can mean lost convenience, time, or quality.
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5. ਸਹੀ ਜਵਾਬ ਚੁਣੋ।
Which priority guided the decision?
We chose a sturdier casing, even at the expense of portability.
- Portability took priority over durability.
- Durability took priority over portability.
- Greater durability was acceptable only if portability remained unchanged.
- Neither durability nor portability could be sacrificed.
“Even” emphasizes a drawback the team was willing to accept.
Show solution
- Durability took priority over portability.
“Even at the expense of” highlights commitment to one priority despite a meaningful sacrifice.
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6. ਸਹੀ ਜਵਾਬ ਚੁਣੋ।
What does this evaluation say about local discretion?
The standardized workflow improved consistency at the expense of some local discretion.
- Local discretion remained unchanged.
- Local discretion increased alongside consistency.
- Every local decision was removed from staff control.
- Local discretion was reduced, but not necessarily eliminated.
Pay attention to the word that limits the size of the sacrifice.
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- Local discretion was reduced, but not necessarily eliminated.
“Some” limits the claim: the sentence does not say that staff lost all freedom to make local decisions.
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7. ਸਹੀ ਜਵਾਬ ਚੁਣੋ।
What limit does this evaluation place on the proposed change?
We welcome a shorter onboarding process, but not at the expense of new hires' access to mentoring.
- A shorter process is acceptable only if access to mentoring is protected.
- Access to mentoring should be reduced to shorten the process.
- The onboarding process must remain unchanged, even if mentoring is protected.
- Improved mentoring is acceptable only if onboarding takes longer.
The writer supports the gain but rejects a particular sacrifice.
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- A shorter process is acceptable only if access to mentoring is protected.
“But not at the expense of” sets a boundary rather than rejecting the proposed improvement outright.
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8. ਸਹੀ ਜਵਾਬ ਚੁਣੋ।
How certain is this evaluation about the outcomes?
The redesign could reduce maintenance costs, potentially at the expense of system flexibility.
- The cost reduction is confirmed, while the loss of flexibility remains possible.
- The loss of flexibility is confirmed, while the cost reduction remains possible.
- Both the cost reduction and the loss of flexibility remain possibilities.
- Both the cost reduction and the loss of flexibility are confirmed.
Two words keep different parts of the assessment tentative.
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- Both the cost reduction and the loss of flexibility remain possibilities.
“Could” makes the benefit uncertain, while “potentially” marks the sacrifice as a possible consequence.
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9. ਸਹੀ ਜਵਾਬ ਚੁਣੋ।
How is the trade-off presented?
The additional safeguards came at the expense of processing speed, a compromise the client explicitly endorsed.
- As a benefit with no downside because the client approved it.
- As a loss of speed that the client knowingly accepted.
- As a possible loss of speed that has not yet occurred.
- As a sacrifice of safeguards to preserve processing speed.
Separate the existence of a drawback from whether someone accepts it.
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- As a loss of speed that the client knowingly accepted.
The expression identifies a sacrifice, but does not automatically condemn it; the client's endorsement makes this an accepted trade-off.
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10. ਸਹੀ ਜਵਾਬ ਚੁਣੋ।
Which summary preserves the correction in this evaluation?
Contrary to the initial forecast, the savings came not at the expense of response speed but at the expense of our capacity to absorb demand spikes.
- The savings reduced both response speed and capacity to handle peak demand.
- The savings preserved capacity to handle peak demand but reduced response speed.
- The savings preserved both response speed and capacity to handle peak demand.
- The savings preserved response speed but reduced capacity to handle peak demand.
The sentence replaces the expected sacrifice with a different actual sacrifice.
Show solution
- The savings preserved response speed but reduced capacity to handle peak demand.
“Not … but …” redirects the trade-off: the forecast identified the wrong cost, not the absence of a cost.