The team will be ready ______ the start of the match.

• A. Before
• B. At
• C. For
• D. During

Answer: (C)

The main idea is using the adjective ready with a preposition to show what someone is prepared for. When you’re talking about being prepared to begin something, the natural pairing is ready for [something]. Here, that something is the start of the match, so ready for the start of the match means the team is prepared to begin as the match begins.

Using other prepositions changes the sense. Before would point to being prepared earlier than the start, which isn’t the intended emphasis here. At would imply being ready at that moment, but it doesn’t stress preparation for the event itself. During would place readiness within the event, which doesn’t fit the idea of getting ready to start.