Exercises Preposition and Preposition/Adverb (Page 1)

Name____________________________________ Class________ Group ________

Prepositions: at, to
Preposition/adverb: in
Insert suitable prepositions in the following.
1. Could I speak to Tom, please? Im afraid Tom is at work. But Jack is in. Would you like to
speak to him?
2. How do I get to the air terminal? Turn right at the end of this street and you will see it in front of
you.
3. He started going to school at the age of five. So now he has been at school for ten years. He is
leaving at the end of this year.
4. He goes to his office every day except Sunday. On Sundays, he stays at home and works in
the garden.
5. I think I left my umbrella in the bus. Id better write to the Lost Property Office.
6. We arrived at the airport in good time for the plane.
7. Can I look up a word in your dictionary? I left mine at home.
8. Our train arrived in York at 6:30. Paul met us at the station.
9. Have you been to the theatre recently? Yes, I was at the Old Vic last night.
10. Im returning to France at the end of this term. Are you coming back to England after the
holidays?
11. He isnt living at home now, but if you write to his home, theyll forward the letter to his new
address.
12. I went to bed early but I couldnt get to sleep because the people in the next room were talking
so loudly.
13. At first I found the work very tiring, but in a few weeks I got used to it.
14. There was an accident at the crossroads at midnight last night.
15. In the daytime the streets are crowded but at night they are quite deserted.

Exercises Preposition and Preposition/Adverb (Page 2)

Name____________________________________ Class________ Group ________

Insert prepositions and prepositions/adverbs:

At, by, in, into, of, off, on, out (of), to, under, with
1. Im going to Hong Kong on Monday with Tom. Would you like to come with us?
2. Are you going by bus? No, were going in Toms car.
3. The car stopped at the traffic lights and wouldnt start again, so the driver got out and pushed it
to the side of the road.
4. Someone threw a stone at the speaker. It hit him at the head and knocked his glasses off.
5. Children get presents at Christmas and on their birthdays.
6. He arrived in London at 6 p.m. on a foggy November day. We often have fogs in November.
7. How do I get to the Public Library?
8. Go to the end of this street and turn right; turn left at the next traffic lights and then take the
second turning to your right. This will bring you to Brook Street, and youll find the library on
your left.
9. The boy was leaning against the wall with his hands in his pockets.
10. Mr. Jones is very keen on punctuality. His lessons start dead on time and you get into terrible
trouble if youre late.
11. Dont leave your luggage in the corridor. Itll be in everyones way. Bring it to the compartment
and put it on the rack.
12. He sits at his desk all day with his head in his hands. It gets on my nerves.
13. I buy a newspaper on my way to the station and read it on the train. By the time I get to
London, Ive read most of it.
14. He was charged with driving while under the influence of alcohol.
15. Can I have Monday off? Or Can I have a holiday on Monday? I want to go to my grandsons
wedding.

Exercises Preposition and Preposition/Adverb (Page 3)

Name____________________________________ Class________ Group ________

Prepositions and prepositions/adverbs:

At, by, during, for, from, in, of, on,

over, since, till, under, with
1. Ive lived in this street for ten years.
2. He has lived at 101 Cornwall Gardens since 1966.
3. At the age of 18, he was sent to prison for theft.
4. He was in prison for two years. At that time he became interested in pigeons.
5. There is a parcel of books for you on the table in the hall.
6. As the child was too young to travel by herself, they arranged for her to travel in the care of a
friend of the family.
7. Have you heard from John since his return?
8. Yes, I had a letter on Monday. Hes thinking of going back to America.
9. Im very sorry for being late. It was good of you to wait for me.
10. Remember to be in time for the opera because if youre late, they wont let you in till/until the
end of the act.
11. He invited me to dinner at his club and during the meal he asked me for advice about his
investments.
12. Hes not independent by any means. He depends on his father for everything.
13. Yesterday the children went for a walk and didnt get back till 10 p.m. Their mother was furious
with them for coming in so late.
14. Whats the best way of cooking a lobster?
15. He was fined for parking his car at a no-parking area.

Exercises Preposition and Preposition/Adverb (Page 4)

Name____________________________________ Class________ Group ________

Prepositions and prepositions/adverbs:

About, at away (adverb only), by, for, from,

in, into, on, out, to, under, up, with, over
1. He insisted on seeing the documents.
2. They succeeded in escaping from the burning house.
3. I am not interested in anything that happened in the very remote past.
4. The children are very fond of swimming. In summer they spend most of their time in the water.
5. I heard such a lot about him that Im looking forward to seeing him very much.
6. He was so absorbed in/by his work that when I came in, he didnt even look up.
7. I am sorry for being late on Monday.
8. I am waiting for my friend. Hell be here in a moment.
9. I see in todays paper that you need a secretary with a knowledge of French. I would like to
apply for this job.
10. I threw the ball at Peter, but instead of throwing it back to me, he ran out and hid it.
11. I was so afraid of missing the train that I took a taxi to the station.
12. I dont object to lending you my pen, but wouldnt it be better if you had a pen of your own.
13. Dont ask the office for information. I will provide you with all the information you need.
14. I disapprove of people who make all sorts of promises which they have no intention of keeping.
15. I was under the impression that I had paid you for the work you did for me.

Exercises Preposition and Preposition/Adverb (Page 5)

Name____________________________________ Class________ Group ________

Insert a proposition if necessary.

Choose from:

At, by, for, in, of, on, past, till/until, to with

1. He asked his father for money.
2. They paid me for the books.
3. I thought he would offer Ann the job, but he offered it to me.
4. Keep me a place, and keep a place for Ann too.
5. They showed us photographs of their baby.
6. Buying presents for children is sometimes very difficult. In the end I bought a kite for Tom and
a torch for Ann.
7. Pass the salt to your father, Peter, and pass me the pepper, please.
8. When you have lunch in/at a restaurant, who pays the bill?
9. Paul is a pianist. He sometimes plays for us in the evening. Last night he played some Chopin.
10. I think Ill be able to find Ann a job.
11. She is knitting socks for her cousins. I wish she would knit me some socks.
12. Sitting on the floor isnt exactly comfortable. Throw me a cushion, please.
13. If you are going to the Post Office, could you buy me a book of stamps?
14. Could you lend us your rice cooker, please?
15. I cannot repeat to you what she said to me in confidence.

Exercises Preposition and Preposition/Adverb (Page 6)

Name____________________________________ Class________ Group ________

Insert till, until, to (TILL IS ALWAYS REPLACEABLE BY UNTIL.)

1. Go on to the crossroads.
2. Go on till you see a church on your right.
3. We work from 9 a.m. to/till 6 p.m.
4. Start now and go on till I tell you to stop.
5. Im going to wait till it stops raining.
6. Youll have to stay in bed till your temperature goes down.
7. The library is open from 10 to 4 oclock.
8. This train goes to London.
9. We have lunch from 12:00 to/till 1:00. Then we start again and go on till 5:30.
10. Go back to the hotel and wait there till I call for you.

Insert for or since

1. Its a long time since I had a good meal.
2. Ive been waiting for Tom since 6:00. I wonder if hes lost his way.
3. Ever since his accident, hes been afraid of flying.
4. I havent seen Tom since he left school.
5. Since last year the noise has become very much worse.
6. Ive had this toothache since last week.
7. The windows havent been cleaned for weeks.
8. He has been missing for 48 hours.
9. Since last year we havent been allowed to park here.
10. Its three years since I did any skiing.

Exercises Preposition and Preposition/Adverb (Page 7)

Name____________________________________ Class________ Group ________

Insert then, after, or afterwards

1. We had tea and then/afterwards went for a walk.
2. Well have watercress soup to start with. What would you like after that?
3. After waiting for half an hour, he went home in disgust.
4. I give all the guests breakfasts; then/afterwards I have my own.
5. Put the toys away, said his mother, and then well have tea.
6. In the story, the Princess married the Price and they live happily ever after.
7. He wound up the clock, set the alarm for 5:00, then got into bed and fell asleep.
8. He poured wine into a glass, warmed it in his hands a little then drank it slowly.
9. For years after/afterwards people remembered that terrible night.
10. I covered the pudding with cream and decorated it with cherries. And then we ate it.