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Exercise 4 Prepositions and prepositions/adverbs: about, at, away (adverb only), by, for, from, in, into, on, out, to, under, up, with, over. Insert a suitable word in the following sentences.

1 He insisted . . . seeing the documents.

2 They succeeded . . . escaping . . . the burning house.

3 I am not interested . . . anything that happened . . . the very remote past.

4 The children are very fond . . . swimming. . . . summer they spend most. . . their time . . . the water.

5 How are you getting ... at school?

- I’m getting ... all right except. . . English. I’m very bad . . . English; I’ll have to work harder . /. it, and spend more time ... it.

6 Paul goes . . . school . . . you, doesn’t he? How’s he getting.....his English? or How’s his English getting . . . ?

7 - I don’t know. We’re not. . . the same class. But he gets........ the other students all right. He has heaps . . . friends.

8 There is no point. . . going . . . car if we can’t park near the theatre.

9 She made a point. . . coming late so that everyone would look . . . her.

10 It never occurred ... me to ask him . . . proof ... his identity.

11 ... first, driving on the left is confusing, but you’ll soon get used . . . it.

12 I’ve heard such a lot . . . him that I’m looking forward . . . seeing him very much.

13 He was so absorbed ... his work that when I came . . . , he didn’t even look . . . (raise his head)

14 I’m sorry . . . Tom. (Ipity him.) He has worked . .. Brown and Company . . . ten years and now the firm has been taken ... by Jones Ltd, and they’re going to dismiss him.

15 I’m sorry . . . being late .. . Monday. Or I’m sorry . . . Monday.

16 The complete set. . . books can be ordered . . . £10 . . . Jones and Company. (Jones and Company will send them to you if you write enclosing £10.)

17 I’m waiting . . . my friend. He’ll be here ... a moment.

18 I see . . . today’s paper that you need a secretary ... a knowledge of French. I should like to apply . . . the post.

19 You can’t rely . . . him. He’s almost always late . . . appointments.

20 If you do not comply ... the traffic regulations you will get. .. trouble . . . the police.

21 Wine is good . . . you, but it is expensive . . .England because there is a fairly high tax ... it.

22 . . . fairy stories, stepmothers are always unkind . . . their stepchildren; but my stepmother has always been very good ... me.

23 He was so infuriated . . . the play that he walked . . . (left the theatre) . . . the middle . . . the first act.

24 My au pair girl takes care ... my little boys (looks . . . them)... the afternoons. She’s very good . . . children. (She can manage them well.)

25 He threw stones ... his attackers, trying to drive them ....

26 I threw the ball. . . Peter, but instead . . . throwing it back ... me, he ran . . . and hid it.

27 I object. . . being kept waiting. Why can’t you be . . . time?

28 ‘. . . accordance . . . the wishes . . . my people,’ the president said, ‘I am retiring ....public life.’

29 This regulation doesn’t apply . . . you. You are . . . (less than) 18.

30 I’m not exactly keen . . . cooking; but I prefer it. . . washing up. (Washing up is worse than cooking.)

31 I was so afraid . . . missing the train that I took a taxi. . . the station.

32 What. . . taking the day . . . and spending it. . . the seaside?

33 I don’t object. . . lending you my pen, but wouldn’t it be better if you had a pen . . . your own?

34 Don’t ask the office . . . information. I will provide you ... all the information you need.

35 I disapprove . . . people who make all sorts . . . promises which they have no intention . . . keeping.

36 I was . . . the impression that I had paid you . . . the work you did . . . me.

Exercise 5 Use and omission of prepositions. Insert a preposition if necessary. Choose from at, by, for, in, of, on, past, till/until, to, with.

1 He asked ... his father . . . money.

2 They paid ... me . . . the books.

3 I thought he would offer . . . Ann the job, but he offered it. . . me.

4 Keep ... me a place, and keep a place .. . Ann too.

5 They showed ... us photographs . . . their baby.

6 Buying presents . . . children is sometimes very difficult. … the end I bought a kite ... Tom and a torch . . ..Ann.

7 Pass the Salt. . . your father, Peter, and pass ... me the pepper, please.

8 When you have lunch ... a restaurant, who pays ... the bill?

- Oh, each ... us pays . . . what he has had.

9 Paul’s a pianist. He sometimes plays . . . us … the evening. Last night he played some Chopin.

10 I think I’ll be able to find . . . Ann a job.

- Could you find a job . . . me, too?

11 He sold the picture ... an American dealer . . . £5,000.

12 He promised ... us a share . . . the profits.

13 He built a very nice house . .. Jack . . . only £50,000.1 wonder what sort ... house he would build . . . me . . . £30,000.

14 She is knitting socks . . . refugees. I wish she’d knit... me some socks.

15 Sitting … the floor isn’t exactly comfortable. Throw ... me a cushion, please, Ann.

16 If you are going . . . the Post Office, could you buy .. . me a book .. . stamps?

17 If you write ... me a song I’ll sing it. . . the school concert. I’ll get Paul to accompany ... me ... the guitar.

18 Could you lend ... us your lawnmower, please?

- I’m afraid you’ll have to ask . . . someone else to lend . . . you one. We’ve lent ours ... Mr Jones and he always keeps it. . . ages.

19 I thought you’d be late . . . dinner, so I ordered some sandwiches . . . you; they’re . . . the bar. I haven’t paid . . . them: you can pay . . . the barman.

20 I explained . . . him that it was the custom . . . England to wash one’s car at the weekend.

21 I described the machine ... him and asked … him if he could make ... me one like it.

22 She told ... us that she’d been attacked . . . the street. We asked . . . her to describe her attacker and she said he was a tall man ... a limp.

23 He told . . . them to wait. . . him . . . the bridge.

24 I cannot repeat.. . you what she said . . . me . . . confidence.

25 The headmaster warned ... me to work harder. What did he say . . . you, Jack?

26 He advised . . . the strikers to go back . . . work. They received his advice . . . shouts . . . contempt.

27 They don’t allow . . . you to smoke . . . cinemas ... France.

28 He told lies ... the police.

- I’m not surprised. He told ... me a pack . . . lies yesterday.

29 This film reminds . . . me . . . my childhood.

30 I rely . . . you to remind ... me to pay Jack … the books he bought . . . me.

31 We must try to get . . . home . . . time . . . tea.

32 We didn’t reach Berlin . . . after dark, and had some difficulty …finding our hotel.

33 If we say ‘The manager showed ... us to our room,’ we mean that he led ... us .. . the door. If we say, ‘He showed ... us the room,’ we mean that he entered . . . the room ... us.

34 I read . . . him the report. He listened . . . me . . . amazement.

35 He ordered ... us to give . . . him all the maps ... our possession.

36 He suggested ... me that we should offer to pay . . . her . . . dollars.

Exercise 6 till/until, to, for, since, then, after, afterwards

Part 1 till, until, to

Insert till, until, to where appropriate.

1 Go on . . . the crossroads.

2 Go on . . . you see a church on your right.

3 We work from 9 a.m. ... 6 p.m.

4 Start now and go on ... I tell you to stop.

5 I’m going to wait... it stops raining.

6 You’ll have to stay in bed . . . your temperature goes down.

7 The library is open from 10 ... 4 o’clock.

8 This train goes . . . York.

9 We have lunch from 12.00 . . . 1.00. Then we start again and go on .. . 5.30.

10 Go back . . . the hotel and wait there ... I call for you.

11 I’m not going for a walk, I’m only going . . . the bank.

- Then you’d better wait... the bank opens.

12 If you’re going . . . the Post Office would you post a letter for me?

- Yes, of course; but it won’t go . . . tomorrow.

Part 2 for, since.

Insert for or since.

1 It’s a long time ... I had a good meal. Or I haven’t had a good meal . . . ages.

2 I’ve been waiting for Tom . . . 6.00; I wonder if he’s lost his way.

3 Ever ... his accident he’s been afraid of flying.

4 I haven’t seen Tom ... we left school.

5 The astronauts have already been in orbit. . . two days.

6 . . . last year the noise has become very much worse.

7 I’ve had this toothache . . . the last week. .

8 Her husband died last year, and . . . then she has been supporting the family. Or She’s been supporting the family . . . the last year.

9 It’s three years ... I did any skiing. Or I haven’t done any skiing . . . three years.

10 The windows haven’t been cleaned . . . weeks.

11 He has been missing ... 48 hours.

12 . . . last year we haven’t been allowed to park here.

Part 3 then, after, afterwards

Insert then, after, or afterwards.

1 We had tea and . . . went for a walk. Or ... tea we went for a walk.

2 We’ll have watercress soup to start with. What would you like . . . that?

3 . . . waiting for half an hour he went home in disgust. . . . (later on) he was sorry he hadn’t waited longer.

4 I give all the guests breakfast; ... I have my own.

5 First you loosen the nuts, . . . you jack up the car, . . . you take the wheel off.

6 He listened at the keyhole for a minute; ... he opened the door cautiously.

7 University administrators sometimes appear more important than scholars; but the administrators will not be remembered . . . their death.

8 ‘Put your toys away,’ said his mother, ‘and . . . we’ll have tea.’

9 In the story, the Princess married the Prince and they lived happily ever ....

10 He wound up the clock, set the alarm for 5.00, . . . got into bed and fell asleep.

11 He poured the brandy into a glass, warmed it in his hands a little, ... drank it slowly.

12 I covered the pudding with cream and decorated it with cherries. And . . . ?

- ... we ate it, of course.

13 For years . . . people remembered that terrible night.

14 I spoke angrily; . . . (some time later) I regretted my words.

15 He looked round to see that nobody was watching; ... he took a piece of bent wire and began trying to open the door.

16 First you say ‘Yes’, and . . . you say ‘No’. You’re an impossible person to make plans with.