In the first three exercises in this post, you’ve to pick the correct preposition from a given set of prepositions. Thereafter, it’s wide open, implying that the answer can be any preposition. That’s what you’ll face in the real world, isn’t it? To take it further close to the real world, the last exercise contains few paragraphs (with missing prepositions) from Malcolm Gladwell’s book Outlier.
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Common Prepositions – 230+ Examples and 10+ Quizzes
(Note: in few questions, no preposition is required even though blank space has been provided.)
Exercise 1 (In/ At/ On)
1. There were fifty rooms __ the hotel.
2. I play cricket __ the Lion’s Cricket Club every weekend.
3. The flight was fine, but the food __ the plane wasn’t good.
4. I first saw the newly-launched phone in the shop __ MG Road.
5. The meeting between the two head of the states will take place __ Race Course Road.
6. Hurry up, we’ve to leave __ five minutes.
7. I don’t like traveling __ night.
8. I liked the book so much that I finished it __ a day.
9. I’m going for lunch and will be back __ 30 minutes.
10. Smith is busy __ the moment.
11. Michael Phelps won eight gold medals __ Beijing in 2008.
12. I went to see him off __ the station.
13. After the train left, it started to rain. So I took shelter __ the station.
14. I’ve got __ to the train and will reach Bangalore by 6 PM.
15. There was a security alert __ the airport.
16. Take a left turn __ the roundabout.
17. I see a spider __ the door.
18. Show me what’s there __ your bag.
19. There are plenty of fish __ this pond.
20. What time do you usually arrive __ work?
1. in 2. at 3. on 4. in/ on 5. at 6. in 7. at 8. in 9. in 10. at 11. at/ in [Name of the city can also mean the games, and hence ‘at’] 12. at 13. in 14. on 15. at 16. at 17. on 18. in 19. in 20. at
Exercise 2 (By/ Until)
1. The phone bill has to be paid __ Friday.
2. Don’t pay the bill today. Wait __ tomorrow.
3. The book fare is open __ 05 April.
4. If you want to get books at a discount, get them __ 05 April, the last date of the book fare.
5. You have to bring my car back __ the end of the month.
6. You can borrow my car __ the end of the month.
7. I waited for him __ 8:30 AM, and then I left for the office alone.
8. I’ve to leave for office __ 8:30 AM.
9. I’ve given myself __ June to find a job.
10. I’ve to find a job __ June.
11. I waited for my friend __ 5 PM, but he didn’t turn up.
12. My friend didn’t turn up even __ 5 PM.
13. You’ve to submit your assignment __ Thursday noon.
14. You’ve __ Thursday noon to submit your assignment.
15. Please return my book __ Sunday evening.
16. You’ve __ Sunday evening to return my book.
17. Most people left the party __ 2 AM.
18. The party went on __ 4 AM.
19. I’ve taken a resolution to not drink __ the end of year.
20. I’ll return your money __ the end of the year.
1. by 2. until 3. until 4. by 5. by 6. until 7. until 8. by 9. until 10. by 11. until 12. by 13. by 14. until 15. by 16. until 17. by 18. until 19. until 20. by
Exercise 3 (During/ While/ For/ Over)
1. Industrial production has expanded __ the last three decades.
2. Someone came to meet you __ you were out.
3. We watched TV __ two hours.
4. __ his visit, the Pope will also bless the new hospital.
5. I lived in London __ two years.
6. I went to Scotland twice __ my stay in London.
7. I’ll be at home __ the weekend. We can meet then.
8. I visited my home town after many years. __ those years, a lot had changed.
9. I watched five movies __ I was ill.
10. The castle was built __ tenth century.
11. There were many interruptions __ the chief guest’s speech.
12. Can you prepare the dishes __ I fetch milk from the nearby store?
13. I was ill __ few days last week.
14. I hurt my leg __ climbing stairs.
15. I didn’t miss a single class __ my first year.
16. Most students looked bored __ the lecture.
17. Because I had to reach home before dinner, I could stay with my friends __ just two hours.
18. I visited most places of touristic interest __ my stay in Paris.
19. You shouldn’t look directly at the Sun __ an eclipse.
20. __ a pause in the conversation, I excused myself and left for home.
1. during 2. while 3. for 4. during 5. for 6. during 7. during/ over 8. during 9. while 10. during/ in 11. during 12. while 13. for 14. while 15. during/ in 16. during 17. for 18. during 19. during 20. during
Exercise 4
1. He was shot __ a pistol.
2. He wiped his face __ a tissue.
3. I prefer watching sporting events __ television than see them live in the stadium.
4. Japanese trains are almost always __ time.
5. My immunity to common cold is low, especially __ winter.
6. Would you like anything to drink __ your meal?
7. There is someone __ the door. Go and check who he is.
8. The fog was so thick that it was like walking __ the clouds.
9. The kid was so short that he couldn’t see __ the steering wheel.
10. The thieves climbed up the drain pipe and entered the house __ the window.
11. I somehow made it __ the road unscathed despite so much traffic.
12. We made our way to the first camp of our trek __ a narrow trail.
13. She drew a line __ the map.
14. I saw the dog scrambling __ the road.
15. There were hardly any American brands __ the cars in the parking.
16. The presenter drew a line __ the whiteboard to separate the two sets of data.
17. We had lunch at a restaurant on our way __ the airport.
18. The meeting was supposed to start at 9 AM, but it didn’t start __.
19. I got home just __ to escape the heavy rain.
20. Mr. Smith is busy __ present.
1. with 2. with 3. on 4. on 5. in/ during 6. with 7. at 8. through 9. over 10. through 11. across 12. along 13. on/ across 14. across 15. among 16. across 17. to 18. on time 19. in time 20. at
Exercise 5
1. X: When are you coming back? Y: ___ Friday.
2. He’s ___ a vacation. He’ll be back ___ a week.
3. X: When did you come? Y: I’ve been here ___ 6 PM.
4. He came to see you ___ you had gone to college.
5. I bought the pen ___ one dollar.
6. I want to hand ___ the assignment? (About, around, in, of)
7. Many English words come ___ Latin.
8. Kindly take your feet ___ the table.
9. Can you put this picture ___ the wall?
10. Jane is going ___ UK next week.
11. In tennis, you have to hit the ball ___ the net.
12. How far is it ___ here ___ the airport?
13. Can you put this film ___ my camera?
14. The antelope swam ___ the river to escape the predators.
15. We’re going ___ the cinema tomorrow.
16. When did you arrive ___ London?
17. What time does the train get ___ London?
18. What time does the train reach ___ London?
19. I watched the news ___ television.
20. X: The shop is ___ fire. Call fire services.
1. on 2. on, in 3. since 4. while 5. for 6. in 7. from 8. off 9. on 10. to 11. over 12. from…to 13. in 14. across 15. to 16. in 17. to 18. no preposition required 19. on 20. on
Exercise 6
1. Let’s meet ___ the morning tomorrow.
2. Let’s meet ___ Friday morning.
3. I’m flying out to Madrid ___ Tuesday.
4. The train left ___ 9 AM.
5. I’m shifting to a new locality ___ summer.
6. Someone is there ___ the window.
7. Munich lies ___ the South of Germany.
8. A fly is sitting ___ his shoulder.
9. Which is the most populous city ___ the world?
10. The shelf is cluttered with too many books ___ it.
11. They’ve been married ___ six years.
12. X: How long did you stay at the party yesterday night? Y: ___ 1 AM.
13. The temperature is five degrees ___ zero. (Over, above, beneath, from)
14. I’m used to working ___ nine ___ nine. (Since, from, for, at)
15. How often do you go ___ the gym?
16. I went ___ my friend’s house, but she wasn’t ___ home.
17. X: What course did you take ___ university? Y: I didn’t go ___ university.
18. He won’t come to the office for another four days, as he is ___ holiday.
19. I attended the conference on digital marketing yesterday. There I met Jennifer ___ the lunch break.
20. Output at the plant went down by almost 40 percent ___ the strike.
1. in 2. on 3. on 4. at 5. in 6. at 7. in 8. on 9. in 10. on 11. for 12. until 13. above 14. from…to 15. to 16. to, at 17. at, to 18. on 19. during 20. during
Exercise 7
1. We get our salaries ___ the second day of the month.
2. I went shopping ___ Easter Day.
3. The contractor finished the building ___ just 8 months.
4. I went to his place ___ one afternoon last week.
5. I’ve given myself ___ Sunday to finish the assignment.
6. I joined the two pieces together ___ glue.
7. The warehouse is ___ fire.
8. Commercial planes fly ___ around 900 kilometers per hour.
9. We traveled from New Delhi to Agra ___ train.
10. They’re ___ holiday.
11. Some birds incubate eggs ___ its feet.
12. I’m reading book ___ trigonometry ___ L. Loney.
13. The manager has left for the day. You can see him ___ the day after tomorrow.
14. We meet ___ every Sunday morning to play tennis.
15. I got up ___ the night to switch off the TV, which I had mistakenly left on.
16. The cat leapt ___ the fence and escaped.
17. The fog was thick. It seemed like driving ___ the clouds.
18. The path runs high ___ the river and the view is breathtaking.
19. Millions of years ago, Atlantic Ocean was a narrow water body ___ Africa and North America.
20. We first met ___ Sonnet Club.
1. on 2. on 3. in 4. no preposition required 5. until 6. with 7. on 8. at 9. by 10. on 11. between 12. on, by 13. no preposition required 14. no preposition required 15. in 16. over 17. through 18. above 19. between 20. at/ in
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Exercise 8
1. Do you know this person ___ the photo?
2. There are children flying kite ___ the roof.
3. Will you be ___ home tomorrow evening?
4. The conference is likely to be held ___ May.
5. A volcano erupted ___ Iceland ___ 2010.
6. What are you doing ___ the evening?
7. The company filed for bankruptcy ___ this year.
8. The company filed for bankruptcy ___ 2011.
9. The company filed for bankruptcy ___ 07 June 2011.
10. Sports coverage is usually ___ the back page of newspapers.
11. Paris is ___ river Seine.
12. I quit my office job because I didn’t like sitting ___ a desk the entire day.
13. It’s a small town. You won’t find it ___ your map.
14. The leopard when attacked by people disappeared ___ the hill.
15. Welcome ___ the conference! I hope you find it useful.
16. My brother is pursuing a Master’s degree ___ Boston.
17. My brother is pursuing a Master’s degree ___ Boston University.
18. They’re ___ Boston to do a two-week course on leadership.
19. Rest of the university campus is located ___ the river.
20. The shops are open only ___ 7 PM. It’s too late. They’ll be closed ___ now.
1. in 2. on 3. at 4. in 5. in, in 6. in 7. no preposition required 8. in 9. on 10. on 11. on 12. at 13. on 14. over 15. to 16. in 17. at 18. in 19. across 20. until, by
Exercise 9
1. I arrived ___ New Delhi railway station ___ 5:00 PM.
2. I like studying ___ night.
3. There is a mirror ___ the wall ___ the drawing room.
4. The stamp ___ the envelope seems quite old.
5. X: Where is John? Y: He is ___ his cousin’s place.
6. There is a pharmacy ___ the end of the street.
7. My car broken down today, and I came back home ___ bus.
8. Within minutes of declaration of the result, I scanned it completely, but couldn’t find my name ___ the list.
9. An all-women team of sailors canoed ___ Amazon River for more than 1,000 kilometers.
10. He hasn’t eaten ___ 7 AM.
11. They have been married ___ 1998.
12. X: Next few days would be bit chilled. Y: Why? X: The professor is away ___ Tuesday.
13. Kindly don’t sleep ___ my lectures!
14. I avoided checking my emails ___ I was on vacation.
15. Can you drive the car ___ that narrow gap? (During, through, at, and over)
16. Don’t put your feet ___ the table.
17. He fell ___ the ladder while fixing a picture on the wall.
18. You’ll get stuck in the traffic if you take this road. It goes ___ the town.
19. I go for an evening walk ___ the river on weekends.
20. They got ___ the house ___ a window.
1. at, at 2. at 3. on, in 4. on 5. at 6. at 7. on 8. on 9. along 10. since 11. since 12. until 13. during 14. while 15. through 16. on 17. off 18. through 19. along 20. into, through
Exercise 10
1. How many turned up ___ the yesterday’s concert?
2. How many pages are there ___ this book?
3. X: You’re again late for the meeting. Y: I’m sorry. My car broke down ___ the way here.
4. Can you read what’s the house number mentioned ___ the door?
5. I haven’t seen him ___ August.
6. X: Where is the nearest bank? Y: Go straight and take a left turn ___ the grocery store.
7. My brother lives ___ London.
8. It’s not possible to carry so much of load ___ a bicycle.
9. After losing our way in the forest, we decided to walk ___ fading car tracks on the ground.
10. I’m going out of the city ___ three days.
11. We’re good friends. I have known him ___ the last twelve years.
12. Food was scarce ___ the war.
13. ___ this point of time, we had almost decided not to look for a rock-shelter as it was difficult to locate one ___ the dark.
14. Exhausted by fifteen hours of trek, during which we gained nearly 4,000 feet ___ altitude and covered nearly 30 kilometers ___ the ground, and with little to eat ___ early morning, we had resigned to our fates.
15. I went ___ London last year. How long did you stay ___ London?
16. X: Where is your house? Y: My house is ___ the end of the street.
17. He got married ___ 25.
18. X: I want to meet the Deputy Manager, Marketing. Y: Can you please wait for some time? He is ___ phone at the moment.
19. Can you name the longest river ___ Europe?
20. Is there anything new ___ TV today?
1. at 2. in 3. on 4. on 5. since 6. at 7. in 8. on 9. along 10. for 11. for 12. during 13. till, in 14. in, on, since 15. to, in 16. at 17. at 18. on 19. in 20. on
Exercise 11
1. What are you doing ___ Monday evening?
2. What are you doing ___ Christmas?
3. You’ll invariably see few hawkers ___ the traffic lights.
4. The airhostess can’t open the door ___ the airplane comes to a halt.
5. X: Do you want something to eat? Y: No, thanks. I had some snacks ___ the train.
6. His train arrives ___ 7 AM. I’ll receive him ___ the railway station.
7. I fell out of bed ___ I was asleep.
8. We waited for him ___ almost hour before we decided to leave for the movie.
9. Where did you get stuck? I’ve been waiting for you ___ the last 30 minutes.
10. Students almost slept ___ the lecture.
11. She has been away ___ Monday.
12. X: When are we meeting next? Y: ___ Monday
13. I left college ___ 20, and within three months I was working ___ a digital marketing firm.
14. I’m going out of town ___ few days. I’ll be back in office ___ Thursday.
15. He has gone ___ Italy, and he is ___ Milan at the moment.
16. I usually go to office ___ car.
17. I listened to the news ___ radio.
18. We arrived ___ the client’s office 30 minutes late.
19. The train ride wasn’t really good. The train stopped ___ almost all stations.
20. I met my college friend ___ I was shopping.
1. on 2. at 3. at 4. until 5. on 6. at, at 7. while 8. for 9. for 10. during 11. since 12. on 13. at, in 14. for, on 15. to, in 16. by 17. on 18. at 19. at 20. while
Exercise 12
1. John was angry with me and didn’t speak to me ___ a week.
2. I play tennis ___ the weekend, but don’t ___ the week.
3. I met more than dozen other travelers ___ my trek.
4. I met more than dozen other travelers ___ I was on trek.
5. Where is John? He should be here ___ now.
6. I didn’t get up ___ half past eight.
7. The fuel price is going to go up ___ August.
8. I’ll see you ___ next Friday.
9. I won’t be in the office ___ Monday morning, but I’ll there ___ the afternoon.
10. I’ll see you ___ Friday.
11. We usually take a holiday ___ the summer.
12. X: Is there anything interesting ___ the newspaper today? Y: Nothing much but for a scoop ___ the second page.
13. My apartment is ___ the second floor. It’s ___ the left when you come out of the lift.
14. The house has another entrance ___ the back.
15. We stayed ___ a Hyatt hotel when we were ___ London.
16. Have you ever been ___ Russia?
17. Are you going ___ John’s birthday party ___ Sunday?
18. I lost my key somewhere, but I managed to climb ___ the house through the back window.
19. We had lunch ___ the airport ___ waiting for our flight.
20. What time did you get ___ home yesterday?
1. for 2. on, during 3. during 4. while 5. by 6. until 7. in 8. no preposition required 9. on, in 10. on 11. in 12. in, on 13. on, on 14. at 15. at/ in, in 16. to 17. to, on 18. into 19. at, while 20. no preposition required
Exercise 13
1. He arrived ___ 4 PM.
2. Why is this dustbin lying ___ the middle of the room?
3. Next month I’ll be going to London ___ four days.
4. I’ve lived in this city ___ I was twelve years old.
5. I would like to thank my friends and family who have stood by me ___ this difficult period.
6. We walked ___ Universal Studio the entire day and saw lots of interesting rides.
7. Is there a restaurant ___ the railway station?
8. Injured from the crash site were rushed ___ the hospital.
9. X: Where did you buy this phone from? Y: I didn’t. It was gifted to me ___ a friend.
10. I was down with fever through last week, and could barely eat ___ four days.
11. ___ my stay ___ New Delhi, I visited plenty of tourist spots in the hills ___ Northern India.
12. ___ I was ___ New Delhi, I visited plenty of tourist spots in the hills ___ Northern India.
13. I’ve received a job offer, and I’ve to decide whether to accept or not ___ Wednesday.
14. My house is under repair. I’ll be staying with my relatives ___ then.
15. I’ve been invited for at least three parties ___ New Year’s Eve.
16. Do you work ___ Saturday?
17. Do you work ___ every Saturday?
18. They often go out for walk ___ the evenings.
19. They often go out for walk ___ Sunday evenings.
20. As a passenger in a car, I prefer to sit ___ the front.
1. at 2. in 3. for 4. since 5. during 6. around 7. at 8. to 9. by 10. for 11. during, in, in 12. while, in, in 13. by 14. until 15. on 16. on 17. no preposition required 18. in 19. on 20. in
Exercise 14
1. My car is the one ___ bottle green color and scratches ___ the bonnet.
2. I’ve to finish the assignment ___ Sunday.
3. I was exhausted and had my fill ___ the party ___ midnight, but the party continued ___ 3 AM.
4. I was woken up ___ the middle of the night by some noise ___ the kitchen.
5. An old woman was sitting next to me ___ dinner.
6. The military chief grabbed power after a coup ___ the beginning of the decade.
7. It’s traditional here to celebrate ___ the first day of spring.
8. What are you doing ___ Easter?
9. Let’s wrap things up. I’ve to leave ___ quarter past six.
10. Matthew Webb was the first person to swim ___ the English Channel without the use of artificial aids for sport purpose.
11. I quickly ran comb ___ my hair and entered the interview room.
12. The treaty was signed ___ North and South Korea.
13. The garbage was scattered all ___ the ground, which made for an unseemly sight.
14. I’m stuck ___ the plane because of sudden change in weather.
15. He plays ___ Sonnet Club ___ weekends.
16. There has been a major accident and a resulting pile up of vehicles ___ the highway near Agra.
17. She lives ___ 28 Civil Lines.
18. John lives ___ He is a student ___ National University of Singapore.
19. The exhibition ___ the American Center will remain open ___ Saturday.
20. He wasn’t ___ work today, because he is ill. He is resting ___ home ___ his bed.
1. with, on 2. by 3. at, by, until 4. in, in 5. at 6. at 7. no preposition required 8. at 9. at 10. across 11. through 12. between 13. over 14. on/ in 15. at, on 16. on 17. at 18. in, at 19. at, till 20. at, at, in
Exercise 15
1. The appliance enables end users to access cloud-based solutions ___ periods of internet downtime.
2. I think I’ll wait ___ Wednesday before making a decision.
3. She sported a diamond ring ___ her little finger.
4. The company headquarters is ___ Singapore.
5. Someone knocked ___ the door ___ we were having dinner.
6. Someone knocked ___ the door ___ dinner time.
7. I have to be ___ the airport ___ 5 PM.
8. I’ll be back ___ 3 PM. Wait for me ___ then.
9. There were eateries and sunbeds ___ the length of the beach.
10. ___ Friday night, I went to bed ___ 11:30 PM.
11. My brother lives ___ a small town ___ the north-west of India.
12. X: Where do you want to sit? Y: Let’s sit there ___ the corner.
13. The football from the neighboring ground came flying ___ our fence and toppled the flower plot.
14. The new book store has opened ___ the corner of High Street and Market Street.
15. I lived ___ Beijing ___ three years ___ 1990s.
16. I arrived early to make sure I got a seat ___ the plane.
17. They drove ___ America from Philadelphia to San Francisco.
18. The last few weeks have been quite stressful at work and I often lie awake ___ night thinking about work.
19. Don’t worry today is the last exam. Your ordeal will be over ___ few hours.
20. My father will be retiring from his job ___ a year’s time.
1. during 2. until 3. on 4. in 5. at, while 6. at, during 7. at, by 8. by, until 9. along 10. on, at 11. in, in 12. in 13. over 14. on 15. in, for, in 16. on 17. across 18. at 19. in 20. in
Exercise 16
1. X is most productive ___ the morning.
2. Y is most productive ___ night.
3. Both the flights arrived ___ the same time.
4. He arrived ___ Tuesday.
5. He arrived ___ September.
6. He arrived ___ 1987.
7. It started to rain ___ the match.
8. It started to rain ___ the match was in its most exciting phase.
9. There is a small hut ___ the top of the hill.
10. I’m going ___ a few weeks.
11. A demand was sent to your address but you moved ___ this period.
12. What time did you arrive ___ the conference?
13. I barely slept the last night. I’m going to snooze ___ some time.
14. X: I’m planning to come to your place by around 6 PM. Would you be there then? Y: I don’t think so. I’ll be gone ___ then.
15. Please don’t interrupt me ___ I am on the call.
16. Please don’t interrupt me ___ the call.
17. Last night I watched TV ___ 2 AM.
18. The auto expo begins ___ 22 April and ends sometime ___ April.
19. The kid was too short to see ___ the ticket counter.
20. He lives just ___ the inter-state border in Nagpur district.
1. in 2. at/ during 3. at 4. on 5. in 6. in 7. during 8. while 9. at 10. for 11. during 12. at 13. for 14. by, by 15. while 16. during 17. until 18. on, in 19. over 20. across
Exercise 17
The following paragraphs have been taken from Outliers: The Story of Success by Malcolm Gladwell:
1. Belgium and Denmark are only an hour or so apart ___ airplane, for example. Danes look a lot like Belgians, and if you were dropped ___ a street corner ___ Copenhagen, you wouldn’t find it all that different ___ a street corner ___ Brussels. 2. ___ the mid-1990s, an experimental public school called the KIPP Academy opened ___ the fourth floor of Lou Gehrig Junior High School ___ New York City. Lou Gehrig is ___ the seventh school district, otherwise known as the South Bronx, one of the poorest neighborhoods ___ New York City. It is a squat, gray 1960s-era building ___ the street from a bleak-looking group of high-rises. 3. Now take a look ___ the last column, which totals up all the summer gains ___ first grade ___ fifth grade. The reading scores of the poor kids go up ___ 0.26 points. When it comes to reading skills, poor kids learn nothing when school is not ___ session. The reading scores of the rich kids, by contrast, go up ___ a whopping 52.49 points. Virtually all of the advantage that wealthy students have over poor students is the result of differences in the way privileged kids learn ___ they are not ___ school. 4. What are we seeing here? One very real possibility is that these are the educational consequences of the differences ___ parenting styles that we talked about ___ the Chris Langan chapter. Think back to Alex Williams, the nine-year-old whom Annette Lareau studied. His parents believe ___ concerted cultivation. He gets taken ___ museums and gets enrolled ___ special programs and goes ___ summer camp, where he takes classes. When he’s bored ___ home, there are plenty of books to read, and his parents see it as their responsibility to keep him actively engaged ___ the world ___ him. It’s hard to see how Alex would get better ___ reading and math ___ the summer.
1. by, on, in, from, in 2. in, on, in, in, in, across 3. at, from, to, by, in, by, while, in 4. in, in, in, to, in, to, at, in, around, at, over
Give More paragraph questions
He was buying fish …….. the market. Which one is appropriate preposition: at/in/to?
In