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Prepositions

Exercise 1 Prepositions: at, to; preposition/adverb. Insert suitable prepositions in the following.

1 Could I speak . . . Tom, please?

- I’m afraid Tom’s . . . work. But Jack’s .... Would you like to speak . . . him?

2 How do I get. . . the air terminal?

- Turn right. . . the end of this street and you’ll see it . . . front of you.

3 He started going . . . school... the age of five. So now he’s been . . . school for ten years. He’s leaving . . . the end of this year.

4 He goes ... his office every day except Sunday, On Sundays he stays .. . home and works . . . the garden.

5 I think I left my umbrella . . . the bus. I’d better write . . . the Lost Property Office.

6 We arrived . . . the airport. . . good time for the plane.

7 Can I look up a word . . . your dictionary? I left mine . . . home.

8 Our train arrived . . . York . . . 6.30. Paul met us . . . the station.

9 Have you been . . . the theatre recently?

- Yes, I was . . . the Old Vic last night.

10 I’m returning . . . France . . . the end of this term.

- Are you coming back . . . England after the holidays?

11 He isn’t living . . . home now, but if you write ... his home they’ll forward the letter ... his new address.

12 I went. . . bed early but I couldn’t get. . . sleep because the people . . . the next room were talking so loudly.

13 . . . first I found the work very tiring, but... a few weeks I got used ... it.

14 There was an accident. . . the crossroads . . . midnight last night. Two men were taken . . . hospital. I believe one of them is still . . . hospitah

15 . . . the daytime the streets are crowded but . . . night they are quite deserted.

16 . . . first her father refused to allow her to go back , . . work; but, .. . the end he agreed.

17 ... the beginning of a textbook there is a preface, and . . . the end there is an index.

18 He went . . . sea ... 18, and spent all his working life . . . sea. He retired ... 56 and went to live . . . the country.

19 I saw Tom . . . the bus stop this morning but couldn’t speak . . . him because we were standing ... a queue and he was . . . the front of it and I was . . . the back.

20 I’ll leave some sandwiches . . . the fridge in case you are hungry when you come in.

21 We’d better start. . . six, because climbing up . . . the gallery takes some time. I hope you don’t mind sitting . . . the gallery.

- No, of course not. When I go . . . the opera I always go . . . the gallery.

22 He is always ... a hurry. He drives ... a tremendous speed.

23 When he began speaking . . . English, she looked . . . him . . . amazement.

24 Write ... ink and put your name . . . the top of the page.

25 We start serving breakfasts . . . 7.30. Shall I send yours up . . . your room, or will you have it. . . the restaurant?

26 He’s always ... a bad temper . . . breakfast time.

27 According . . . the guidebook there are three hotels . . . the town.

28 The pilot climbed . . . 5,000 metres and flew . . . that height till he got. . . the coast. Then he came down . . . 1,000 metres and began to take photographs.

29 I’m interested . . . chess but I’m not very good ... it.

30 Who is the girl. . . the blue dress, sitting ... the head of the table?

31 I couldn’t offer him a room . . . my flat because . . . that time my mother-in-law was staying with us.

32 The train stopped ... all the stations, and long before we got. . . London every seat was taken and people were standing . . . the corridors.

33 Shall we discuss it. . . my room, or shall I come . . . your office?

34 . . . my astonishment I was the only person . . . the bar. Everyone else had gone ... the Casino.

35 The Loch Ness Monster is supposed to live . . . the bottom of the Loch and come . . . the surface from time . . . time.

36 You can’t say that he lives . . . luxury. There’s hardly any furniture ... his room. He hasn’t even got a desk to write ....

Exercise 2 Prepositions and prepositions/adverbs: at, by, in, into, of, off, on, out (of), to, under, with. Fill the gaps in the following sentences from the above list.

1 I’m going to Bath . . . Monday . . . Tom. Would you like to come . us?

- Are you going . . . bus?

- No, we’re going . . . Tom’s car.

2 I saw him standing ... the queue but I don’t know whether he got . .. the bus or not.

3 How do you go . . . school?

- It depends .. . the weather. . . . wet days I go . . . tube; . . . fine weather I go . . . foot.

4 The car stopped . . . the traffic lights and wouldn’t start again, so the driver got. . . and pushed it. . . the side ... the road.

5 Someone threw a stone . . . the speaker. It hit him . . . the head and knocked his glasses ....

6 I want to post this ... a friend . . . Italy. Will he have to pay duty ... it?

7 According . . . Tom, it is impossible to live . . . Paris . . . less than £10,000 a year.

8 Are you . . . your own (alone)?

- No, I’m ... a friend . . . mine.

9 You ought to be ashamed . . . yourself for coming . . . my nice clean kitchen . . . muddy boots.

10 Children get presents . . . Christmas and . . . their birthdays.

11 How would we get (escape from) this room if the hotel were . . . fire?

12 He arrived . . . London ... 6 p.m. ... a foggy November day. We often have fogs . .. November.

13 The man ... his back . . . the camera is the Minister . . . Agriculture.

14 How do I get. . . the Public Library?

- Go . . . the end . . . this street and turn right; turn left. . . the next traffic lights and then take the second turning . . . your right. This will bring you . . . Brook Street, and you’ll find the library . . . your left.

15 Alternatively you could get a 14 bus . . . this stop and ask the conductor to tell you where to get. . . (alight).

16 The boy was leaning against the wall... his hands ... his pockets. ‘Take your hands ... your pockets,’ said his father sharply.

17 As she was getting the car one . . . her buttons fell.... Although we were ... a hurry she insisted . . . stopping to look for it.

18 Mr Jones is very keen . . . punctuality. His lessons start dead . . . time and you get. . . terrible trouble if you’re late.

19 The man ... the pipe and red hair is the brother ... the girl. . . blue.

20 Don’t leave your luggage ... the corridor. It’ll be . . . everyone’s way. Bring it.. . the compartment and put it. . . the rack.

21 He sits ... his desk all day ... his head ... his hands. It gets . . . my nerves.

22 ... mistake I opened Mary’s letter instead . . . my own. She was very angry ... me and said that I’d done it. . . purpose.

23 I buy a newspaper ... my way ... the station and read it. . . the train. By the time I get. . . London I’ve read most... it.

24 He was charged . . . driving while . . . the influence . . . alcohol.

25 People who drop litter . . . the pavements are liable ... a fine . . . £50.

26 He accused me . . . selling secret information . . . the enemy.

27 You look worried. Are you . . . some sort. . . trouble?

- Yes, ... a way. I'm . . . debt and my creditors want to be paid . . . the end . . . the month, and . . . the moment I haven’t any money . . . the bank.

28 The car skidded . . . the tree, the windscreen was smashed and the driver was cut. . . the face . . . splinters . . . glass.

29 Four people were injured . . . the demonstration. Three . . . them are students . . . the university, the fourth is here . . . holiday. That’s him over there ... his arm . . . plaster.

30 This picture was painted . . . Picasso; and there’s another Picasso . . . the opposite wall.

31 The horse stopped suddenly and the rider fell... .He couldn’t get . . . again without help and there was no one . . . sight.

32 The children hastily changed . . . bathing things and jumped . . . the river . . . shouts of delight.

33 We’ll have to go . . . car; we can’t go . . . bus . . . account. . . the bus strike.

34 Divers breathing a mixture . . . helium and oxygen can work ... a depth . . . 100 metres.

35 I’m tired . . . working . . . the suburbs and I’ve asked to be transferred . . . our central branch.

36 Can I have Monday . . . ? or Can I have a holiday . . . Monday? I want to go ... my grandson’s wedding.

Exercise 3 Prepositions and prepositions/adverbs: at, by, during, for, from, in, of, on, over, since, till, under, with. Insert suitable words, choosing them from the above list.

1 I’ve lived . .. this street. . . ten years.

2 He has lived . . . 101 Cornwall Gardens . . . 1966.

3 . . . the age ... 18 he was sent to prison . . . theft.

4 He was . . . prison . . . two years. . . . that time he became interested . . . pigeons.

5 There is a parcel of books . . . you . . . the table . . . the hall.

- Oh, they must be ... my brother. He always sends me books ... my birthday.

6 We heard that Bill wasn’t. . . arrest but was helping the police . .. their enquiries. The police are interested ... a bank robbery which took place . . . Bill’s last holidays.

7 Much Ado About Nothing is . . , Shakespeare, and you’ll find more ... his plays . . . the bookcase . . . the corner.

8 As the child was too young to travel. . . herself, they arranged . . . her to travel. . . the care ... a friend of the family.

9 Have you heard . . . John ... his return?

- Yes, I had a letter . . . Monday. He’s thinking . . . going back . . . America.

10 He was ill... a week and . . . that week his wife never left his side.

11 Aren’t you coming . . . us?

- No, I’m waiting . . . Tom.

- But he won’t be ready . . . some time. - I’m not,. . . a hurry. I’ll wait till he’s ready.

12 I’m very sorry . . . being late. It was good . . . you to wait. . . me.

13 Passengers may leave bulky articles . . . the stairs . . . the conductor’s permission, but the bus company will not be responsible . . . such articles.

14 Remember to be . . . good time . . . the opera because if you’re late they won’t let you … the end . . . the act.

15 I want two seats . . . Romeo and Juliet. . . Friday night.

16 ... spite . . . the heat he refused to take ... his coat.

17 He was wounded . . . the shoulder ... a bullet fired ... an upstairs window.

18 While . . . their way from the coast. . . the mountains they were attacked ... a jaguar.

19 What platform does the train . . . York leave . . . ?

- Platform 8, and you’d better hurry. It’ll be leaving ... a minute.

20 He invited me to dinner ... his club and . . . the meal he asked me . . . advice about his investments.

21 He’s not independent. . . any means. He depends ... his father . . . everything.

22 He has a picture . . . Picasso (Picasso painted the picture) and he can’t decide whether to hang it. . . the hall. . . the right as you come . .. , or . . . the sitting room ... the fireplace.

23 I’m tired . . . hearing about Tom and his Picasso. He can hang it. . . his garage ... all I care!

24 He said he was . . . debt and asked me ... a loan . . . £50.

25 What’s the cheapest way . . . getting . . . London . . . Edinburgh? - Well, you could hitch hike there . . . next. . . nothing, or you could go . . . coach . . . about £20.

26 I was horrified ... his appearance. He looked as if he hadn’t slept ... weeks.

27 When he gets back . . . the office he expects his wife to meet him ... the door ... his slippers, and have a hot meal waiting . . . him.

28 Yesterday the children went... a walk and didn’t get back .. .10 p.m. Their mother was furious . . . them . . . coming in so late.

29 Passengers who get... or ... a bus (i.e. who board or leave it) except . . . the official stops do so . . . their own risk.

30 The rows are lettered ... A to T, beginning . . . the row nearest the stage. So if Tom is sitting . .. B26, and Jack is sitting . . . C26, Tom will be directly . . . front. . . Jack.

31 What’s the best way . . . cooking a lobster?

- Cook it. . . boiling salted water, and serve it cold . . . mayonnaise.

32 He was fined . . . parking his car ... a no-parking area.

33 He opened the door ... a rusty key and went down the steps . . . the cellar, followed by Bill... a torch.

34 The adults worked ... 6 a.m. to 6 p.m an hour . . . lunch. Boys ... 18 were not supposed to start... 8 a.m. (earlier than 8 a.m.)

35 He died . . . heart failure . . . Tuesday night. His wife is still suffering . . . shock.

36 The house is . . . fire! Send . . . the Fire Brigade!