. CLASSIFICATION
1. Preposition of Place
2. Preposition of Direction and Motion
3. Preposition of Time
4. Preposition of Manner, Agent, Instrument
5. Preposition of Amount
6. Miscellaneous Preposition
I. Preposition of Place
1.In
1. A) Means inside a place
or enclosure:
in a room
in a building
in a box
in your mouth
*in the bottle
*in the corner (of a room)
*in the front (back) of a car, room,
theater, group of people, etc.
B).
*(swim) in a pool/the river/the
water/ the sea/ the ocean
(sit) in an armchair (but on a chair)
in his hand
2. We say sb is:
in bed
in prison/ jail
in the hospital
*in/at school/college
3. We say:
*in a garden/a field/ a park
in a small village
in the mountains
in a town/ city (St. Louis)
in a country/ Italy
in the world
*in a line/ a row/ a queue
*in the front/last row
*in the back row
*in a photograph/ picture
(look yourself) in the mirror
*in the book/booklet/ paper
(=newspaper)/ the magazine/a
letter (but on a page)
*(meet him) in the street
in the sky
*in the way (= obstructing)
*4. We are thinking about the
building itself:
(the room) in Judy’s house...
(it was very hot) in cinema
5. We use in or at with building:
(stay) in/at a hotel
(eat) in/at a restaurant
6. Expressions with in:
*in the rain/ the sun
(=sunshine)/ bad weather/ the
shade/ the dark/ in bad
weather, etc.
(write) in ink/ pen/ pencil
Also: *in words/ numbers/
capital letters
(pay) in cash but pay by
check/ credit card
(be/fall) in love (with sb)
in (my/your/his…) opinion
(work) in a factory , but (work) on
a farm
2. On
1. We talk about position
touching a flat surface:
on the ceiling/ the wall
*on the door/ the table/chair
on the floor/ground/grass
on the bulletin board
on her cheek/ shirt
*on his arm/finger
*on the bottle
on page 7/ a page
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Preposition
*on (the back) page
on the (small) island
on the beach
on a map/ a menu/ a list
*on the front/ back of a
piece
of paper, letter,
newspaper,
envelope, photograph, card,
etc.
(work) on a farm , but (work) in a
factory
*on a farm/ a ranch/the
pitch/ the lawn
2. A) We say:
on the left/ right (or on the left/ right-hand side)
on the first (second, ground,
etc.) floor
*on the way (to another
place)
*on/ at the corner of the
Prepared & taught by San Veasna
street
on the sidewalk
B). We say that a place is on a line
such as a road, a street, an
avenue, a river or the coast:
on the main road
*on Main Street
*on Third Avenue (situation of
Avenue
*on a river
*on the Mekong River
on the (east) coast
*3. We say (be/go) on (a)
vacation/ on holiday/ a trip / a
(world) tour/ a cruise / on
business
5. Other expression with on:
on TV/ (the) radio
on the phone/ telephone
(be/go) on strike/ on a diet
(be) on fire
on the whole (= in general)
a building) e.g. I live on 3rd
3. At
1. To indicate a general location.
It is not as specific as in)
at the bus stop
at the door/window
at the intersection
at the traffic light
at the church
(turn left) at the store.(= give
*(the train stops) at Denver
station
*(the train stops) at
Nottingham (in Nottingham =
village)
at the station/airport
*at someone’s house
*at the doctor’s/ the hairdresser’s
*(stay) at very night hotel on
people: (at a party/the wedding/
a conference/ the meeting/ a
baseball game/ a concert/ a
film/the theater/ the gym/
museum, etc.)
7. We say sb is
*at home/ work
direction)
Note: also say be/stay
home (without at)
4. We use in or at with building:
2. We say :
*at/in school /college/
(stay) in/at a hotel
at 712 16th Avenue (+ address)
university
*at the top/ end (of a street, a road, (eat) in/at a restaurant
*at the seaside (but on a
5. But usually say at with building
line, etc.)
voyage)
when we say where an event takes 8. Other expression with at:
*at/ on the corner of the
place:
street
at a speed of 120 miles an
hour
a concert at…
*at the top/bottom (of a
or at 120 miles an hour
the meeting at…
page, list, the stairs, etc.)
at a temperature of 212
The movie at…
*at the front (back) of a
degrees Fahrenheit or
at
A play at …
building/hall/cinema/
212 degrees Fahrenheit
(we were) at the cinema/the
group of people, etc.
theater, etc.
3. We think of the place (the town 6. We say sb is at:
and village) as a point or station on *an event where there is a group of
people or refer to gathering of
trip rather than an area:
Note:
1. Compare in and at.
Ex: There were a lot of people in the store. It was very crowded.
(somebody giving directions) Go along this road, then turn left at the store.
***We use different prepositions depending on how we see a place. Compare:
Ex: The group will meet at 7.30 at the sport centre. (=either inside or outside)
The group will meet at 7.30 in the sport centre. (= inside)
Didn’t I see you in/at the pool yesterday?
=either seen as within the pool itself, or as a building which is a point in town
2. Compare in and on.
Ex: There is some water in the bottle.
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Preposition
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But: There is a label on the bottle.
3. Compare at and on.
Ex: There is somebody at the door. Should I go and see who it is?
But: There is sign on the door. It says, “Do not disturb.”
4. We say “in the corner of a room (= inside),” but “at/on the corner of the street
(= a point)”.
5. We say at someone’s house. But we use in when we are thinking about the
building itself.
Ex: I was at Judy’s (house) last night, but the rooms in Judy’s house are
very small.
6. We normally use in with cities, town, and villages.
Ex: The Louver is a famous art museum in Paris. (not at Paris)
***But you can use at or in when you think of the place as a point or station on trip.
Ex: Do you know if this strain stops at/in Denver? (= at the Denver station)
We stopped at/ in a nice town on the way to Denver.
7. We say (be/go) on (a) vacation/ on holiday/ a trip / a (world) tour/ a cruise /
on business
***Note: also say “go to a place for a vocation/ for my vacation/ for vacation”.
8. We usually use at before an address and in or on before the name of a road:
Ex: They’ve opened an office at 28 Lees Road.
The church is in/on Park Road.
***However, we sometimes use on instead of in when we talk about long streets
or road.
Ex: The town is on the Pacific Highway.
*** We can use at instead of in when we use a street name to refer to an institution
in that street.
Ex: There was an important meeting of ministers at Downing Street today.
***But notice that we say ‘on Wall Street’ to mean the financial institution.
4. A) Across or over …………position on the other side of, or getting to other side
of bride, road, border, river, etc., one side to other.
Ex: Mike lives in the house across/over the road.
The truck came towards them across/over the bridge.
Once she was across/over the border, she knew she would be safe.
B). Over ………..about reaching the other side of sth that is high, or higher than it
is wide.
Ex: He hurt his leg as he jumped over the wall.
The railway goes through a tunnel rather than over the top of the mountain.
C). Across………..as a flat surface, or an area such as a country or sea
Ex: He suddenly was Sue across Australia.
The figures moved rapidly across the screen.
***Note: We can san all over but right across
Ex: The disease has now spread all over/ right across the world. (not all across
the world)
D). Along……...a line of some kind (a path, a road, a river, a beach, a canal, etc.)
Ex: I’d seen them walking along the road past my window several times before.
They walked along the footpath until they came to a small bridge.
E). –***Through …………..to emphasize the movement in a three dimensional
space, with things all around, a flat surface or area.
Ex: He pushed his way through the crow of people to get to her.
He enjoyed the peace and quiet as he walking through the forest.
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Preposition
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–***Through……………the movement from the beginning to the end of the
side or for movement inside sth.
Compare:
Ex: She walked through the forest to get to her grandmother’s house.
She spent a lot of her free time walking in the forest.
5. A) Above/ over………… one thing is at a higher level than another.
Ex: Above/Over the door was a sing saying, ‘Mind your head’.
She had painted thick, dark eyebrows above/over each eye.
B). Above ………..one thing is not directly over other
Compare:
Ex: The castle sat in the mountains above the town.
The passengers couldn’t see the sun, as it was right over the plane.(=directly
overhead)
C). Over…………….sth covers sth else and is in contact with it, about horizontal
movement.
Ex: A gray mist hung over the fields.
I saw the helicopter fly out over the water, near the fishing boat.
D). Below…………..is the opposite of above Are similar to those between
E). Under…………..is the opposite of over above and over (see above)
***Note: A number of common idioms include the prepositions over and under:
Over the hill
Get under my feet
Pull the wool over my eyes Over the moon
Under the weather
6. A) Between………..with two or more people or things that we see as individual or
separate.
Ex: She held the diamond between her thumb and forefinger.
B). Among/amongst………the people or things as part of a group or mass.
Ex: He stood among all his friends in the room and left very happy.
C). Between/among……….to talk about sth done to or by a group or groups of
things or people.
Ex: The money is to be divided between/among the towns in the area.
The prize will be shared between/among the first finishers in the race.
D). Between rather than among…………..about comparisons and relationships
(e.g. a
difference between, a connection between, a friendship between, a link
between…)
E). Among…………mean ‘occurring in’, ‘one/some of’ or ‘out of’.
Ex: The disease has now broken out among the hill tribes. (= ‘occurring in’)
They are among the best hockey players in the world. (= ‘some of’)
Among the capital cities of South America, Quito is the second highest.
(= ‘out of’)
***Note: How we use the expression among other things (not ‘between other
things’)
7. A) Near (to)/ close to……….not far away
Ex: The plant often grows close (to)/near (to) the banks of the rivers.
We live close to/near (to) the city center.
B). Beside/ by/ next to………..not far away (one thing or person is at the side of
another)
Ex: Colin sat beside/by/next to her with his leg crossed.
I pushed the button beside/by/next to the door, but there was no answer.
Come and sit by/ besides/ next to me.
“Where’s the light switch?” “by the door.”
Who is that man standing by the window?
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There was a small table by the bed.
***Note:
Next to as an adjective to say that sth follows another thing in a series.
Nearest not next ……….one thing is close than any other thing of the same kind.
Ex: When Jim arrived, I left the kitchen and went into the next room.
(not…nearest room)
When the storm started, I ran to the nearest house for shelter.
(not…next…)
C). Near not by ………about towns and cities
Ex: I first met Steve when he was working on a beach near Adelaid.
They live in a pretty cottage near Bergerac in France.
8. A) In front of  behind (=in the back of)……….one after the other on a line
and facing the same way.
Ex: A is in front of B. Or B is behind A.
B). Opposite, facing, across, and over………. ‘on the other side of’ but with across
and over we have to state on the other side of what, e.g. a road, a river:
***Note: opposite/ facing (not facing in the same direction, but is facing each other
Ex: A is facing/opposite B. Or A and B are facing/opposite each other.
9. Around…………………on all sides of
Ex: My aunt has a scarf around her neck.
10. Throughout……………in all parts of
Ex: Just now it is raining throughout the country.
11. Beyond ……………….Further away, in other side of.
Ex: Their house is beyond the town.
12. Far from………….a long distance from.
Ex: Is your house far from the grocery.
II. Preposition of Direction and Motion (movement)
1. Into: (the opposite of Out of)
***Go (get, flow, etc.) into = enter (a room/ a building/ a car/ taxi, etc.). We sometimes
use in (instead of into). The opposite of into is out of.
Ex: She got into the car and drove away.
He waked out of the room angrily when John admonished him.
A bird flew into the kitchen through the window
Don’t wait outside. Come in the house. (or Come into the house.)
She got out of the car and went into a store.
***Note that we usually say, “get on/off a bus, plane, train, boat and bike”.
Ex: She got off the bus and I never saw her again.
2. To: We say go/come/travel to a place or an event. For example:
go to South America
come to my house
drive to the airport
go to bed
be sent to prison
take sb to the hospital
go to the bank
return to Italy (not return
move to London
go to a concert
in...)
Ex: When are your friends returning to Italy?
After the accident three people were taken to the hospital.
***In the same way we say on my way to …/ a trip to…/ welcome to…,etc.
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Ex: Welcome to our country!
Compare: to (for movement) and in/at (for position):
Ex: They are going to France
but
They live in France.
Can you come to the party?
but
I’ll see you at the party.
***Been to: We usually say “I’ve been to a place.”
Ex: I’ve been to Italy four times, but I’ve never been to Rome.
Ann has never been to a football game in her life.
Jack has some money. He has just been to the bank.
3. On: We say (be/go) on (a) vacation/ on holiday/ a trip / a (world) tour/ a cruise /
business
***Note: also say “go to a place for a vocation/ for my vacation/ for vacation”.
4. At/in
***Get and arrive
We say, “get to a place”. But we say “arrive in…/arrive at…” (not arrive to).
Ex: What time did they get to London/work/ the party/ the hotel?
Note: - arrive at a place, for example, a hotel, a cinema, a station, party, work,...
Ex: When did they arrive at the hotel/the party/ work
- arrive in a town/city or a country. But arrive home
Ex: What time did they arrive in Brazil/Phnom Penh?
***Home: We do not say “to home”. We say go/ get/ arrive/ climb/ on the way home,
etc. (no prep.)
Ex: I’m tired. Let’s go home.
I met Caroline on my way home.
For at home (See Place of AT)
5. By/via/ by way of ………..to go past a place.
Ex: We walked by the library on the way home.(= movement)
Your books are by the window. (= place)
6. Past………..for movement from one side to the other of sth, next to it:
Ex: I use startled by a huge bird that flew past my window this afternoon.
7. Along……...a line of some kind (a path, a road, a river, a beach, a canal, etc.)
Ex: I’d seen them walking along the road past my window several times before.
They walked along the footpath until they came to a small bridge.
***Note: We also often use up and down with roads and rivers (meaning ‘along’)
Ex: Go up the road to the corner, and the cinema is on the left.
8. Up to/ towards………….we approach someone or something, but we use only up to
if we actually reach the person/thing:
Ex: Do you think I can go towards him and ask for his autograph?
Do you think I can go up to him and ask for his autograph?
The scientist moved towards the group of grazing animals.
9. Up (to)/ down (to)………..for movement north or south within a country:
Ex: We’ve just come down to Canberra from Darwin.
10. (A)round/ about…………a circular movement, here and there in
Ex: We drove (a)round the roundabout three times before we took the correct exit.
He walked around (about) the market.
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on
11. From (the opposite of to)
from a time to a time
from a place to a place
BUT: From time to time (= occasionally)
Ex: He lived in German from 1972 to 1978. We drove from Atlanta to New York
in one day.
We visit the art museum from time to time.
12. –Through …………From end to end.
–Across
Ex: He swims across (through) the river in 15 minutes.
13. Onto………..to a position on.
Ex: The cat jumped onto his knee.
III. Preposition of Time
1. We use at for:
1. in these expression
at 6.00 o'clock (a specific time of day)
*at night
at midnight/midday
at the age of 9 or at 9 (= age)
at the weekend (on is informal)
at sunset
*at present/the moment (=now)
at this/the) time
at the same time
*at times (= occasionally)
2. in these expression:
*at the end of (sth)  at the beginning of
*at first (= initially)  In the end (=
finally)
at a speed of 120 miles an hour or at 120
miles an hour
at a temperature of 212 degrees
Fahrenheit or at 212 degrees
Fahrenheit
3. with mealtimes:
at breakfast/lunch, etc.
at lunchtime
4. including special periods
at Christmas
at Ester
2. We use on for:
1 in these expression:
*(on) Friday(s) (= day)
*(on) 12 September, (1996) (=date)
*(on) Saturday evening/night
on (the morning of) Friday, 21st June (= date)
*on the weekend, on weekends
(In US and Austrian English is used, and this is now
hear in informal BrE, too)
*on time (= punctual, used for a scheduled event
on Christmas Eve
on Christmas Day
on New Year's Eve
on New Year's day
on Easter Day
on Easter Sunday
on my birthday/anniversary
on the last/first day of the month (= part of
particular day)
or appointment)
2. including special days
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a
3 We use in for …
1. in these expression:
in the morning(s)/ afternoon(s)
in April/November (month)
in 1999/2003 (year)
in summer/spring (seasons)
in the 2004s (or the 2004’s) (decades)
in the 19th century (centuries)
in the Middle Ages
in the past/future
*in the night (when we talk about a particular
night)
2. in these expression:
*in time (= note late, early enough)
in the middle of (May, etc)
*In the end =finally  at first
in a few minute (a few minute from now)
in a day (a day from now)
*in a moment (a moment from now/ in a short period of
time)
in a week (1 week from now)
in a week’s time (= in a week)
in six month (a time in the future)
in six months’ time (= in six month)
in the week before Easter/ in the hours
the exam/ in the days that…, etc.
Note: We also use in to say
how long it takes to do
something.
Ex: I learnt to drive in four weeks. (= It
took me four weeks to learn)
3. we say how long it will be before sth happen: (+
’s time)
Note: a. There is no preposition (at, on, in) before last, next, this/that, every, all, any,
each, one, some, today, (the day after) tomorrow, (the day before) yesterday . (last
night, next week, next Friday, last March, all morning,…)
b. We often leave out on before days and dates (Monday(s)/ Monday morning/ March
12th ,etc.)
Ex: I’ll see you (on) Friday/ Saturday morning.
c. There is no preposition; tomorrow morning/ yesterday evening,…
d. On time = punctual, not early or late. The opposite of on time is late.
Ex: The 11: 45 train left on time. (=it left at 11:45)
**In time (for something/ to do something) = note late, early enough, soon enough,
time to spare. The opposite is too late.
Ex: Will you be home in time for dinner? (=soon enough for dinner)
I’d better hurry. I want to get home in time to see the baseball game on
TV. (=soon enough to see the baseball game)
**You can say just in time (= almost too late)
Ex: We got to the station just in time to catch the train.
e. At the end of (sth) = at the time when something ends. For example:
at the end of the month/ January/ the course/ the game/ the movie/ the course
Ex: I’m going away at the time of January.
All the players shook hands at the end of the game.
But in the middle of …
***The opposite is at the beginning of
f. In the end =finally (**We cannot say “in the end of sth”)
We use in the end when we say what the final result of a situation was.
Ex: We had a lot of problems with our car. In the end we sold it and bought
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before
another one. (=finally we sold it.)
He got angrier and angrier. In the end he just walk out of the room.
***The opposite is usually at first:
Ex: at first we didn’t like each other very much, but in the end we became
good friends.
g. at night (when we mean ‘when it is night’ or ‘each night’)
in the night (when we talk about a particular night)
Ex: People can’t go out on the street at night any more, it’s so dangerous.
I felt every restless in the night and had to take a sleeping tablet.
4. A). During/ in/ over ………….sth that happens within a particular period of time.
5.
6.
7.
(During is better than in & over)
Ex: The population of the city has actually fallen during/in the last decade.
Weather conditions have been improving over/during the past few days
B). During………………sth that happens within the same time as another event or
activity rather over a particular period of time.
Ex: Mrs. Newton came into our classroom during a maths test.
The President made the speech during a visit to Madrid.
C). During (the whole of)/ throughout………..we emphasize that sth continues
for the whole of a particular period of time.
Ex: No-one was allowed to leave the ship during (the whole of)/through of
its time in port.
We had enough firewood to keep us warm during (the whole of)/
through of the winter.
A). For………how long sth continues.
B). During (followed by a noun indicating duration of time) when sth takes place.
Ex: you can only come in for a few minutes. (not…during…)
I felt ill for a couple of days, but was fine after that. (not…during…)
About ten of us were taken ill during a party we were at in York.
(not…for a party…)
C). Since………..point of time. (from then till now)
Ex: He has lived in Phnom Penh since 1989.
A). By (+ specific time)………..sth will happen or be achieved either before a
particular time or at that time.
B). Until………. sth will continue up to a particular (Till is in informal English)
Compare:
Ex: We had to be at the stadium by 2.30. (That’s when the competition starts.)
We have to be at the stadium until 2.30. (We can’t leave before that time.)
She learned German by the age of 16. (She could speak it fluently when she
reached that age.)
She learned German until the age of 16. (Then she stopped learning)
***Note: In negative sentence, until means ‘not before’
Ex: You mustn’t open your presents until your birthday.
After/ past…………..later than
Ex: There’s no point in going to the party now; it’s after/past 11 o’clock.
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8. Before……………before a time
Ex: Applications must be submitted before 30th November. (= on the 29th or earlier)
Applications must be submitted by 30th November. (= on the 30th or earlier)
9. From…to…(BrE)…………the start and end points of a period of time, but
uses through.
Ex: I’ll be staying at the Hilton from Friday to Monday.
I’ll be staying at the Hilton Friday through Monday.
IV. Preposition of Manner, Agent, Instrument
1. By:
A). We use by in many expressions to say how do something. For example, you can:
- send sth by mail
- pay by check/ by credit card (but pay in cash)/by phone/post/ fax/ e-mail/
degrees/ stages
- do sth by hand
***or sth can happen by mistake/ by accident/ by chance/ by hart/ by force/ by
hand (but do sth on purpose (= intentional)):
Ex : Did you pay by check or in cash?
***Note: In these expression above we use by + noun without “a/the/ my”.
B). We use by to say how sb travels, indicates mode of travel:
by car/ train/ plane/ boat/ ship/ bus/ bicycle/ bike, etc.
by road/ rail/ air/ sea/land/ subway (but on foot)
Ex: Liza usually goes to work by bus.Do you prefer to travel by ari or by train?
***You cannot use by my car/ the train/ a taxi, etc. We use by + noun without
“a/the/my,” etc. However, if there is a determiner before the noun or if the noun is
plural, we use a preposition other than by. For example:
on a bus/a coach/ a train/ a plane/ a ship/ a boat/a bicycle/ a motorcycle/ a horse
but in a car/ in a taxi/ a truck
by phone but
on the phone
by email
but
in an email
by bus
but
in buses
***But we use in if we want to emphasis that we mean inside the bus ,etc.
C). We say sth is done by sb/sth (passive)
Ex: Have you ever been bitten by a dog?
Compare by and with:
***By (followed by a noun or –ing) to talk about what action we take to do sth;
with (followed by a noun) when we talk about what we use to do sth.
Ex: The door must have been opened with a key. (= sb used a key to open it)
He only avoided the children by breaking hard and swerving to the right.
The door must have been opened by someone with a key.
I told him that he couldn’t hope to catch a big dfish with a small rod like that.
**We say: a play by Shakespeare/ a painting by Rembrandt/ a novel by Tolstoy, etc.
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US English
Ex: Have you read any books by Agatha Christie?
**Note: The following use of by:
Ex: Claire’s salary has just gone up from $ 2,000 a month to $2,200. So it has
increased by $200/ by ten percent.
V. Preposition of Amount
one of
hundreds of
a few of
per dozen
a kilo of
most of
by adding to
subtract from
in quantity
a quantity of
VI. Miscellaneous Preposition
1. A). Except (for) …………thing (s) or person(s) does not include the main part of sentence.
Ex: I hade no money to give him except (for) the few corns in my pocket.
B). Except for rather than except to show that a general statement made in the
main
part of sentence is not completely true
Ex: The car was undamaged in the accident, except for a broken headlight.
C). Except, not except for, before prepositions, to-infinitives, bare infinitives, and that-clauses.
Ex: There is likely to be rain everywhere today except in Scotland.
I rarely need to go into the city center except to do some shopping.
There is nothing more the doctor can do except keep an eye on him.
They look just like the real thing, except (that) they are made of plastic.
2. A). Besides…………mean ‘as well as’ or ‘in addition to’
Compare:
- I don’t enjoy watching any sports except (for) cricket. (= I enjoy only cricket)
- Besides cricket, I enjoy watching football and basketball. (= I enjoy three sports)
B). Apart from instead of except (for) and besides:
Ex: I don’t enjoy watching any sports apart from cricket. (= except)
Apart from cricket, I enjoy watching football and basketball. (=beside;
as well as)
C). But with a similar meaning to except (for)/ apart from, particularly after
negative
words such as no, nobody, and nothing
Ex: Immediately after the operation he could see nothing but/ except (for)/
apart from vague shadows.
D). But for has a different meaning from except for. When we use but for we introduce a
negative idea, saying what might have happened if other things had not
happened.
Ex: The country would now be self-sufficient in food but for the drought
last year. (= if it hadn’t been for the drought…)
3. Against, beside and contrary to…………to make a contrast
Ex: Look at this year’s sales figures against last year’s; they’re so much better.
Beside her sister, Laura was positively plain.
The Davis Cup final was won by the French team, contrast to expectations.
4. of…………when the original material is still visible.
From…………when the original material has been transformed.
With………….when we refer to a filling or an ingredient.
Ex: - A dress made of silk
- a jacket made of leather
- Ice-cream made from strawberries - toilet rolls made from recycled paper.
- Vine leaves stuffed with rice
- Rice pudding made with cream
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Preposition
Prepared & taught by San Veasna
5. With/ together with/ along with……….accompanied by
Ex: Mary went with her mother to do some shopping.
Sok asked me to walk along with him.
6. Without……..in the absent of
Ex: Navy’s mother goes shopping without her.
7. Because/ due to…………by the reason of.
Ex: Because of cold weather, she get up late.
Due to the newspaper strike we have nothing to road.
8. Instead of…………….in place of.
Ex: He decided to drink tea instead of coffee.
9. According to…………..as stated by
Ex: According to the weather report, it is going to rain tomorrow.
10. About
11. Despite/ in spite of
Ex: He kept on working in spite of his illness.
Despite his age, he still enjoys boxing.
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Preposition
Prepared & taught by San Veasna
II. PREPOSITION + NOUN
according to (the weather)
all over the world/ in the world
as a result
at one time
at that time
at the age of (six)
at this rate
at/in a meeting
be in a bad mood
be in charge of
be in favour
be in very good condition
be on fire
by accident
by accident
for nothing
for nothing
for the purpose of
in (good) condition
in addition to
in memory of sb/sth
in piles
in tears
in the distance
in the north/south
in the prime (of life)
in the slightest
in theory =be good idea
in theory =be good idea
in vain
keep in touch
on a flight to (London)
on average
on average
on both (etc.) sides
on my/your etc. own
on purpose
on purpose
on the coast
on the other hand
on the way (to school)
on the whole
on TV/ Channel 4
over the years
under control
under control
under protest
What...like?
work in practice
IX Noun + preposition
Many nouns are followed by prepositions.
cheque for (a sum of money)
reply to (a letter)
difference between
reaction to
demand for
attiude toward
need for
relationship with
eason for
connection with
advantage/disavantage of
contract with
*There is an advantage in/ to doing relation between 2 things or
sth.
people
cause of
connection between 2 things or
photograph of
people
picture of
contract between 2 things or
map of
people
plan of
different between 2 things or
drawing of
people
increase in (price, etc.)
equivalent of
decrease in (price, etc.)
example of
rise in (price, etc.)
exception to
drop in (price, etc.)
information about
damage to
machine for
invitation to (a party, etc.)
number of
solution to (a problem)
pair of
key to (a door)
photo of
answer to (a quetion)
possibility of
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Preposition
quality of
reason for
reason for
research into
rise in
sample of
solution to
trouble with
advertisement for sth
ticket for (a concert)
appreciation ot/for sb/ sth
the chance of sth
confidence in sb/ sth
a cut in sth, e.g. a price
damage to sb/ sth
a decline in sth
a deterioration in sb/ sth, e.g. the
condition of sth or a person’s health
a discussion about/on sb/ sth
an effect on sb/ sth
the effect of sth on sb/ sth
enthusiasm for sb/ sth
Prepared & taught by San Veasna
the expenditure of sth, e.g. time,
money, effort on sth
faith in sb/ sth
guilty about sb/ sth
a home from home
an idea about/of sth
idea (=opinion) on sth
the intention of (doing) sth
a lack of sth
the likelihood of sth
a limit of sth
necessary for sb/ sth
the policy of sth
a question of sth
a relationship with sb
the removal of sb/ sth
a reputation for sth
Note: These nouns can be followed by either of or for.
fear, method, hatred, need, means
III. ADJECTIVE + PREPOSITION
Many adjectives are followed by preposition.
nice/kind/good/generous/polite/silly married with 3 children (married
/stupid of sb (to do sth)
and have 3 children)
nice/kind/good/generous/polite/frie similar to
ndly/cruel to sb
different from (or than)
mad/angry/furious/annoyed/upset interested in
about sth
dependent on
mad at sb
independent of
angry/furious at/with sb for doing crowed with (people, etc.)
famous for
sth
annoyed/upset with sb
responsible for
excited/worried/nervous/happy
about sth
absent from
pleased/satified/disappointed with accused of
accustomed to
sth
surprised/shocked/amazed/astonishe acquainted with
d at/by sth
addicted to
impressed with/by sb/sth
afflicted with sth
fed up sth
afraid of (dogs)
bored with sth
allergic to sth
sorry about sth
amenable to
sorry for doing sth
angry at/ with
I’m sorry I (did sth)
angry with sb for sth
feel/be sorry for sb
annoyed with/ by
afraid/ frightened/terrified/scared of ashamed of sb/ sth
fond/proud/ashamed/jealous/enviou associated with
s of
aware of
aware/conscious of
bad/good for
capable/incapable of
be a burden on sb/ sth
full/short of
be at home
typical of
be good at
tired/sick of
be guilty of sth, e.g. a crime
certain/sure of or about
be in a bad mood
good/bad/excellent/hopeless at
be in charge
married/engaged to
be in charge of
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Preposition
be in conflict with sb
be in connection with sb/ sth
be in debt
be in favour
be in love with sb
be in mess
be in very good condition
be like
be on fire
be on holiday
be on strike for (more money)
be out of order
be similar to (mine)
be worried about
bigger than
blessed with
bored with/ by
capable of
cluttered with
committed to
composed of
concerned about
connected with
coordinated with
covered with
critical of sb/ sth
crowed with
dedicated to
devoted to
different from/to
disappointed in/ with
discriminated against
divorced from
done with
Prepared & taught by San Veasna
dressed in
due to sb/ sth
engaged in/ to
enthusiastic about/over sth
envious of
equipped with
excited about
exhausted from
exposed to
faithful to sb/ sth
familiar with sth
famous for
fed up with sb/ sth
filled with
finished with
fond of
fraught with sth
friendly to/ with
frightened of/ by
full of sth
furnished with
gone from
good at
grateful to/for
guilty of
hostile to/towards sb/ sth
important to sb/ sth
impressed by sb/ sth
inferior to
innocent of
interested in
involved in sth
isolated from
jealous of
keen for sb to do sth, e.g. succeed
keen on sb/ sth
known for
lacking in sth
limited to
located in
made of/ from
married to
missing from sth
noted for sth
obsessed with sb/ sth
opposed to
particular about sth
patient with
patient with sb/ sth
pleased with
polite to
prejudiced against sb/ sth
prepared for
protected from
proud of
provided with
qualified for
related to
relevant to
remembered for
responsible for sb/ sth
safe from sb/ sth
satisfied with
satisfied with sb/ sth
scared of/ by
secure in sth
shy of (doing) sth
shy with sb
similar to
strict about sth
strict with sb
terrified with
tired of/ from
tolerant of sb/ sth
upset with
used to
worried about
VI. Verb + (object) +Preposition
Many verbs are followed by a preposition.
look/have a look/take a
look/stare/glance at
laugh/smile at
aim/point (sth) at (=in the direction
of)
shoot/fire (a gun) at (=in the
direction of)
talk/speak to (sb) (with is also
possible but less common)
listen to
invite sb to (a party, etc.)
shout at sb (when you are angry)
shout to sb (so that they can hear
you)
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Adjective
throw sth at sb/sth (in order to hit
them)
throw sth to sb (for sb to catch)
explain sth (to sb)
explain (to sb)
that/what/how/why…
Describe is similar:
apologize to sb (for…)
thank sb (for sth)
ask sb (for sth)
talk/read about
tell sb about
have a discussion about sth
discuss sth (no prep)
do sth about sth (=do sth to
improve a bad situation)
care about sb/sth
care what/where/how, etc. (without
about)
care for sb/sth =like sb or sth
(usually in questions and negative
sentences)
take care of (=look after)
ask (sb) for
but ask sb a question/ ask sb the
way to...
apply (to a person, a company, etc.)
for (a job, etc.)
Prepared & taught by San Veasna
wait for.../wait for (sth to happen) beleive in...
search (a person/ aplace/ a bag, etc.) specialize in...
for...
succeed in...
leave (a place) for (another place) break into...
look for...(=search for, try to find) crash/drive/bump/run into...
look after... (=take care of)
divide/cut/split sth into (two or
dream about
more parts)
dream of being sth/doing sth
translate (a book,etc.) from one
(=imagine)
language into another
hear about...(=be told about sth)
collide with...
hear of...(=know that sb/ sht exists) fill sth with...
hear from...(=receive a letter or
provide/supply sb with...
phone call from sb)
happen to...
think about
prefer one thing/ person to another
think of
concentrate on...
remind sb about.. (=tell sb not to
insist on...
forget)
spend (money) on...
remind sb of...(=cause sb to
remember)
account for sb/ sth
complain (to sb) about...(=say that accuse sb of
you are not satified
advertised in
complian of a pain/ an illness, etc. agree to sth, e.g. a suggestion
(=say that you have a pain, etc.)
agree with sb or sb’s opinion etc
warn sb about a person or thing that agree on sth, e.g. a plan
is dangerous, unusual, etc.
apologize for
warn sb about/ of a danger, sth bad apply to, for
that might happen
approve of sb/ sth
accuse/suspect sb of...
argue about sth
approve of...
argue for sth, e.g. a cause
die of (an illness)
argue with sb
consist of...
arrive at = at a place
pay for (sth that you buy)
arrive in = in a country
pay a bill/ a fine/a tax/a fare/ rent/ a ask for
sum of money, etc. (no preposition) base sth. e.g. a film, on sth
thank/forgive sb for...
believe in
blame sb/sth for...
believe in sb/ sth
blame sth on...
belong to
suffer from (an illness, etc.)
benefit from sb/ sth
protect sb/sth from (or against) sth blame (sb) for
depend/rely on...
blame sb/ sth
depend + when/where/how, etc.
break down
(question words), with or without call for sb/ sth
campaign for sb/ sth
on
live on (money/food)
care about sb/ sth
congratulate (sb) on...
care for sb
compliment (sb) on
compare to, with
Page
Verb
compensate for sb/ sth
compete against/with sb
compete for sth, e.g. a prize
compete in sth, e.g. a race
complain about, of
complain to sb about
compliment sb on sth
concentrate on sth
confide in sb
congratulate sb on
consist of
contribute to
convine sb of sth
cope with sb/ sth
count (up) on
criticize everything about sb/sth
criticize sb for sth
deal with
decide (up) on
depend (up) on
deprive sb of sth
despair of sth
develop into (a big business)
die of
discourage sb from (doing) sth
distinguish from
do damage to sb/ sth
do sth by degrees
dream of, about
emerge from sth
escape from
excel in, at
expel sb for sth, e.g. truancy
expel sb from sth, e.g. school
fail in sth
feel guilty about sb/sth
feel like
fight agianst sb/ sth
fight for
fill in
find out about sb/ sth
for the purpose of
force sb into sth
forget about
forgive for
forgive sb for
Prepared & taught by San Veasna
full of sth/sb
get in touch with sb
get married to
get on with somebody
get up
give something up
go out for (a meal)
go out with somebody
go/come - home (no preposition)
go/come to
school/university/bed/London
grow up
have a degree in (English)
have a discussion about/on sb/sth
have an effect on sb/sth
have an excuse for
have an excuse for sb/ sth
have an idea about/ of sth
have an intervuew for a job
have confidence in sb/sth
have faith in sb/sth
have ideas (= opinion) on sth
have the chance of sth
have the intention of (doing) sth
hide from
hope for sth
improve in sth, e.g. health
improve on sth (=to produce sth
better, e.g. a plan)
in addition to
insist (up) on
insist on
instead of
insure against sth
introduce to
invest in sth
invest sth in sth
invite sb to
invite sb to, for
keep (sb) from
keep from
keep in touch
know/learn sth by heart
laugh about
laugh at
leave - home (no preposition)
Page
Verb
listen to
listen to Music
live in London
look after
look for
look for/at
look forward to
look forward to
look out
look to sth, e.g. the future
look up
make sb/ sth into sth
make up
object to
object to sth
operate on sb
participate in
patticipate in
persist in sth
phone _ sb
plead with sb
point (a gun) at sb/ sth
pray for
prefer to
prevent (sb/sth) from
prevent from
pride oneseff in sth or take pride in
sth
prohibit (sb) from
prohibit from
protest about sth
provide sb with
provide with
put away
put on
put out
put sth back on
put sth off
put up with
puzzle over sth
reason with sb
rebel against sb/sth
reciter etc. from memory
reckon on sth
recover from
rely (up) on
remind sb of
rescue from
research into sth
respond for
restrict oneself/sb to sth
save sb from sb/ sth
seem to sb/ sth
sell sth for ($300)
share (sth) with sb
shout at
show appreciation of/for sb/sth
show enthusiasm for sb/sth
speak to sb about
speak to sb about sth
spend (money, etc) on sb/ sth
stare at
stay at home
stay in bed/a hotel
steal sth from sb
stem from sth
stop sb from (doing) sth
subscribe to
substitue for sb
succeed in
succeed in
succumb to sth
suffer from sth
take advantage of
take advantage of
take care of
take care of
take off (idiomatic)
take something off (literal)
talk about, of
talk to sb about sth
thank for
thank sb for
think about
think about, of
throw sth at
throw sth at sb
throw sth to sb
tire of sb/sth
try on
turn off
turn on
Prepared & taught by San Veasna
vote for
wait for sb/ sth
warn sb about/of
warn sb of/about sb/ sth
wonder about sth (=to feel curious
sbout sth)
wonder at sb/ sth (=to feel surprised write (a latter) to sb
about sb/ sth)
work as
work for (the BBC)
work in practice
worry about
III. Fixed expressions + preposition
Be out of breath
In common at all
For a change
On the contrary
Page
Verb
In the long
Be out the question
Be at stake
On my own
By myself
On second thought
Prepared & taught by San Veasna
1. Preposition of Place
about
below
next to
above
beneath
off
abroad
beside
*on
across
between…and…
on board
after
beyond
onto
against
by/near (the see)
opposite
along
by (=next to/ beside)
out of
among
close to
over
around
far from
throughout
*at
*in
towards
before
in back of
under
behind
in front of
underneath
behind of
near
5. at school/ college to say where someone is.
Ex: Kim is not living at home. She’s away at college.
*** But use in school/ college to say what someone is doing.
Ex: Amy works at a bank, and her brother is in medical school. (=he’s
studying medicine)
II. Preposition of Direction and Motion (movement)
above
across
along
around
at
by
by way of
by/ via
down
from
in
into
move to
off
onto
out of/from
over
past
through
to/toward
under
up
III. Preposition of Time
at
in
on
by
before
after
for
during
since
until/ till
through
from …to…
IV. Preposition of Manner, Agent, Instrument
by
with
in
on
like
a few of
per dozen
a kilo of
most of
V. Preposition of Amount
one of
hundreds of
Page
Preposition
Prepared & taught by San Veasna
6. Miscellaneous Preposition
as
to/ between
of/ with/ in
for
with
together with
Page
Preposition
along with
because of
on account of
due to
instead of
according to
besides
about
despite
in spite of
Prepared & taught by San Veasna
Exercises
I. Preposition of place
1. Complete the sentences. Use in, at or on.
(in from 1,2)
(on from 1)
(at from 1
1. Look at those people swimming in the river/ the pool/ the ocean.
2. One of the strings on my guitar.
3. Would you like sugar in your coffee.
4. The leaves on that tree are a beautiful color.
5. He spends most of the day sitting at the window and looking outside.
6. I like that picture hanging on the wall in the kitchen.
7. There was an accident at the intersection this morning.
8. I wasn’t sure whether I had come to the right office. There was no name on the door.
9. I wouldn’t like a job in an office. I couldn’t spend the whole day sitting at a desk.
10. The mane the police are looking for has a scar on his right cheek.
11. Maria was wearing a silver ring on her little finger.
12. There’s no one in the room/ the building.
13. *What do you have in your hand/ mouth?
14. Who is that man standing at the bus stop/ the door/ the window?
15. Turn left at the traffic light/ the church.
16. There’s a red mark on the wall/ your shirt/ your cheek.
17. Have you seen the notice on the bulletin board/ the door?
18. *You’ll find the listings of TV programs on page 7 (of the newspaper).
19. There were a lot of people in the store. It was very crowded.
20. *(somebody giving directions) Go along this road, then turn left at the store.
21. *There is some water in the bottle.
22. *There is a label on the bottle.
23. *You’ll find the sports results on the back page of the newspaper.
24. *I was in the back of the car when the accident happened.
25. *I didn’t feel too good when I work up, so I stayed in bed.
26. Some people are in prison for crimes that they did not commit.
27. A friend of mine was seriously injured in an accident yesterday. She still in the hospital.
28. *Mark isn’t up yet. He’s still in bed.
29. Kay’s mother is in the hospital.
30. *When I was a passenger in a car, I prefer to sit in the front.
31. I sat on the floor/ the ground/ the grass/ a chair/ the beach.
32. Here’s a shopping list. Don’t buy anything that’s not on the list.
33. *It’s a very small town. You probably won’t find it on your map.
34. *Write your name on the back of this piece of paper.
35. *I don’t have your phone number. Could you write it on the back of this card?
36. There’s nobody living on the island. It’s uninhabited.
37. *Have you ever worked on a farm? It’s a lot like working on a ranch.
38. *Kate works on a farm.
2. Complete the sentences. Use in, at or on.
(in from 3)
Page
Preposition
Prepared & taught by San Veasna
(on from 2A,B)
(at from 2)
1. There has been a serious accident on the motorway near Sweden.
2. She’s just moved from her flat at 38 Azalea Drive.
3. We broke down on the Princes Highway between Melbourne and Adelaide.
4. Talks are to be held at Downing Street, chaired by the Prime Minister.
5. My uncle owns a hardware shop on the corner of High Street and Redland Road.
6. *When I go to the movies, I prefer to sit in the front.
7. *Who is the woman in that photograph?
8. *Have you seen this article in the paper?
9. *Let’s sit in the front (of the theater).
10. *John was standing in the back of the crowd in the theater.
11. He’s looking in the mirror.
12. *Tom is in the movie. He is sitting in the last row.
13. *Is Tom in this photograph? I can’t find him.
14. *A: Is there anything interesting in the paper today?
*B: Well, there’s an unusual picture on the back page.
15. *(in a restaurant) “Where should we sit?” “Over there, in the corner.”
16. Tom’s parents live in St. Louis.
17. The Louvre is a famous art museum in Paris.
18. We spent a few days in New York.
19. It will be the biggest event of its kind ever held in this country.
20. In Britain they drive on the left.
21. Our apartment is on the second floor of the building.
22. The post office is on the left. And the bank is on the right.
23. My office is on the second floor. It’s on the left as you come out of the elevator.
24. *We stopped at a small town on the way to Montreal.
25. *I usually buy a newspaper on the way to work in the morning.
26. *I live on Main Street. My brother lives on Elm.
27. Paris is on the Seine River.
28. *My sister has an apartment on Third Avenue.
29. San Francisco is on the west coast of the United State.
30. Angel’s house is at the end of the street.
31. At the end of street, there is a path leading to the river.
32. Write your mane at the top of the page.
33. You will find the page number at the bottom of the page.
34. Tom is standing at the end of the line.
35. The cat is at the top of the stair.
(in from 4)
(at from 3)
36. *The rooms in Judy’s house are very small.
37. *There were fifty rooms in the hospital.
38. *I enjoy the movie, but it was very cold in the theater.
39. *It’s always too hot in my sister’s house. The heat is always on too high.
Page
Preposition
Prepared & taught by San Veasna
1. *I was at Judy’s house last night. or I was at Judy’s last night.
2. *I wasn’t in when you called. I was at my sister’s house.
3. *I haven’t seen Kate for some time. I last was her at Dave’s wedding.
4. *Judy is at the hairdresser’s.
5. Don’t meet me at the station. I can get a taxi.
6. Our flight was delayed. We had to wait at the airport for four hours.
7. Do you know if this train stops at/in Denver? (= at the Denver station)
8. We stopped at/in a nice town on the way to Denver.
9. It was a very slow train. It stopped at every station.
10. My train arrives at 11:30. Can you meet me at the station?
(in from 6)
(at from 4,5,6,7)
11. The meeting took place at the company’s main office.
12. The movie I want to see is showing at the Odeon (movie theater).
13. We went to a concert at Lincoln Center.
14. We saw a play at the Ford Theater.
15. I play baseball at the gym on Friday evenings.
16. The exhibition at the museum of Modern Art closed on Saturday.
17. Were here many people at the party/ the meeting?
18. I saw Jack at a baseball game/ a concert last Saturday.
19. Sue is at the conference.
20. I didn’t see you at the party on Saturday. Where were you?
21. Tom is sick. He wasn’t at work today. He was at home in bed.
22. I’ll be at work until 5:30, but I’ll be at home all evening.
(in from 7)
(on from 4,5)
(at from 8)
1. Look! That car is on fire! Somebody call the fire department.
2. Workers at the factory have gone on strike for better pay and conditions.
3. Soon after we arrived, we were taken on a tour of the city.
4. I’m going on vocation next week.
5. I feel lazy this evening. Is there anything worth watching on TV?
6. I’m sorry. It was an accident. I didn’t do it on purpose.
7. George has put on a lot of weight recently. I think he should go on a diet.
8. Jane’s job involves a lot of traveling. She often has to go away on business.
9. There were some difficult questions, but on the whole they were OK.
10. He likes to keep warm, so he doesn’t go out much in cold weather.
11. Julie never uses a pen. She always writes in pencil.
12. They fell in love almost immediately and were married in few weeks.
13. Please write your address clearly, preferably in capital letters.
14. I don’t like the sun. I prefer to sit in the shade.
15. Ann thought the restaurant was OK, but in my opinion it wasn’t very good.
16. I hardly ever use a credit card or checks. I prefer to pay for things in cash.
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17. Water boils at 212 degrees Fahrenheit.
18. When I was 14, I went on a trip to Mexico organized by my school.
19. I wouldn’t like his job He spends most of his time talking on phone.
20. Julia’s grandmother died recently at the age of 79.
21. I don’t want to sit in the dark.
22. We didn’t go on vacation last year. We stayed at home.
23. I’m going to Miami for a short vacation next month.
24. I won’t be here next week. I’ll be on vacation.
25. In my opinion, violent movies should not be shown on TV.
26. I wouldn’t like to go on a cruise. I think I’d get bored.
27. There was panic when people realized that the building was on fire.
28. The Earth travels around the sun at a speed of 64,000 miles an hour.
29. “Did you enjoy your vacation?” “Not every minute, but on the whole, yes”
30. When you write a check, you have to write the mount in words and numbers.
Position &movement (across, over, along, through) In Use U105 (1)
I. Complete the sentences with across or over. If both are possible, write across/over.
1. They cycled across America from the Pacific to the Atlantic.
2. On the other side of the river, across/ over the bridge, is the richer side of town.
3. The children next door are a real nuisance. Their football is always coming over the fence and
damaging the flowers in my garden.
4. After the children’s party, sweets and cakes were scattered all over the kitchen floor. Or right across
the kitchen floor.
5. The dog ran away from me and disappeared over the hill.
6. I saw the children wandering slowly across/ over the road.
7. Pedro was so short, he couldn’t see over the steering wheel.
8. He lives just across/over the border, in Switzerland.
9. Martha drew a line across the map and said, “I’ll visit all the houses to the north of here.
II. Underline the correct or most appropriate words(s) in each sentence.
1. The thieves broke the window and climbed across/over/along/ though it.
2. He was the first man to row single-handed across/over/ along/ through the Atlantic.
3. There was so much traffic; I was fortunate to get across/over/along/through the road without being
knocked over.
4. There were sunbeds and sunshades across/over/along/through the entire length of the beach.
5. She made her way up the hill across/over/along/through a narrow path.
6. He leapt across/over/over/through the wall and made his escape.
III. Correct the prepositions (above, over, below, under) if necessary, or put a .
1. She put her hands above her eyes and began to cry. (over)
2. Below the screen is small microphone that picks up the computer-user’s voice. (under)
3. They left their key below a mat by the front door. (under)
4. There was a crack in the wall over the window. (above)
5. He pulled his hat above his ears and went out into the cold. (over)
6. She just swept the dust under the carpet.
7. The path runs high over the river and the view is wonderful. (above)
8. She looked out of the window. Twenty feet under her, in the garden, was a fox. (below)
9. He was unhurt apart from a mall cut above his eye. (over)
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(between, among)
IV. Underline the correct answer.
1. The boy walked into the room between/ among his mother and father.
2. During that period, the Atlantic Ocean was a narrow lake between/ among what is now Africa and
North America.
3. There was no-one from Japan between/among the many tourists on the coach.
4. British makes were noticeably absent between/among the cars in the car park.
5. The male penguin incubates the egg between/ among its feet.
6. I had a pain between/among my eyes.
7. She looked between/among all the coats on the rack until she found her own.
8. I took my seat between/ among Toni and Ingrid.
V. Complete the sentences with between or among. If you can use either between or among, write
between/among.
1. They only had one bottle of water to share between/among four of them.
2. My brother was among the successful applicants for the new jobs in the company.
3. There are particularly high rates of suicide among young men on the island.
4. There was general agreement between/among the members of choir that they should sing one more
song.
5. Since the meeting in Warsaw, relations between Poland, Hungary and Germany have steadily
improved.
6. There is little difference between the President and the challengers to his leadership.
7. You could be among the many winners of the lottery this week.
8. The ever-widening economic gap between the North and the South must be deal with now.
9. I have difficulty distinguishing between butter and margarine.
(near, by, beside, nearest, close to, between , among)
VI. Correct the sentences.
1. We went to a concert performed at the palce of Versailles by Paris. (near)
2. I left my suitcase beside the reception desk at the hotel, but when I got back it had gone.
3. When I smelt gas in the hotel room, I just pushed open the next window. (nearest)
4. We stayed in a hotel close to Rome Airport.
5. In Rome we saw, between other things, the Colosseum and the Trevi Fountain.
6. There’s a lot of expansion going on in the country, including a huge new exhibition center being built
by the capital. (near)
Movement
(to, at, in, into)
Put in to/at/in/into there necessary. If no preposition is necessary, leave an empty space (-).
1. Three people were taken to the hospital after the accident.
2. I met Kate on my way – home.
3. Should we take a taxi to the station, or should we walk?
4. I have to go to the bank to day to change some money.
5. The Rhine River flows into/ to the North Sea.
6. I’m tired. As soon as I get – home, I’m going to bed.
7. Marcel is French. He has just returned to France after two year in Brazil.
8. Are you going to Linda’s party next week?
9. His family moved to New York when he was three.
10. Have you ever been to China?
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11. We got stuck in a traffic jam on our way to the airport.
12. Welcome to the Morgan Hotel. We hope you enjoy your stay here.
13. What time does this train get to Chicago?
14. What time does this train arrive in Chicago?
15. What time did you get – home last night?
16. What time do you usually arrive at work in the morning?
17. When we got to the theater, there was a long line outside.
18. I arrived – home feeling very tired.
Get into/on/off
(Gram Use U122(4))
Write sentences using got + into/ out/ on/ off.
1. You were walking home. A friend passed you in her car. She saw you, stopped, and offered you a
ride. She opened the door. What did you do? I got into the car.
2. You were waiting for the bus. At last your bus came. The doors opened. What did you do then? I got
on the bus.
3. You drove home in your car. You arrived at your house and parked the car. What did you do then? I
got out of my/the car.
4. You were traveling by train to Chicago. When the train got to Chicago, what did you do? I got off the
train.
5. You needed a taxi. After a few minutes a taxi stopped for you. You opened the door. What did you
do then? I got into/in the taxi.
6. You were traveling by air. At the end of your flight, the plane landed at the airport and stopped. The
doors were opened, and you took your bag and stood up. What did you do then? I got off the plane.
Time
Grama in Use U117 (in, on, at)
Put in at, on, in or nothing.
1. Columbus made his first voyage from Europe to America in 1492.
2. Most people in the United States do not work on Sundays.
3. After working hard during the day, I like to relax in the evening.
4. The first man walked on the moon on July 21, 1969.
5. Jazz became popular in the United States in the 1920s.
6. Mozart was born in Salzburg in 1756.
7. I saw her on Tuesday.
8. The price of electricity is going up in October.
9. I’ve been invited to a wedding on February.
10. On Saturday night I went to bed at 11.00.
11. We traveled overnight to Paris and arrived at 5:00 in the morning.
12. The course begins on January 7th and ends sometime in April.
13. I might not be at home on Tuesday morning, but I’ll be there in the afternoon.
14. We meet – every Saturday afternoon to go shopping.
15. I’m afraid she’s left now, but you’ll be able to se her – the day after tomorrow.
16. The programe was shown on television – one afternoon lat week.
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17. The new soap opera on BBC2 is stating – tomorrow.
Put in at, on, or in .
7. It’s difficult to listen if everyone is speaking at the same time.
8. Many of Europe’s great cathedrals were built in the Middle Ages.
9. There are usually a lot of parties on New Year’s Eve.
10. I hope the weather will be nice on the weekend.
11. The telephone and the doorbell rang at the same time.
12. Marry and Henry always go out for dinner on their anniversary.
13. Henry is 63. He’ll be retiring from his job in two years’ time.
14. In the past, attendance at school was not compulsory, but it is today.
15. I'll see you at Ester.
16. We often go walking at the weekend.
17. We went to a party on Ester Sunday.
Gra Use U117
Which is correct, (a), (b), or both of them
1. Both a) I’ll see you Friday.
b) I’ll see you on Friday.
2. a
a) I’ll see you next Friday.
b) I’ll see you on next Friday.
3. a
a) Paul got married February.
b) Paul got married in February.
4. a
a) Do you work every Saturday?
b) Do you work on every Saturday?
5. Both a) They never go out Sunday evenings. b) They never go out on Sunday
evenings.
6. b
a) We usually take a short vacation
b) We usually take a short vacation
Christmas.
at Christmas.
7. b
a) What are you doing the weekend?
b) What are you doing on the
weekend?
8. Both a) Will you be here Tuesday?
b) Will you be here on Tuesday?
9. b
a) I hope to go to Europe the summer.
b) I hope to go to Europe in the
summer.
Gram Use U118 (on/in time, at/ in the end)
Complete the sentences with on time or in time.
1. The bus was late this morning, but it’s usually on time.
2. The movie was supposed to start at 8: 30, but it didn’t begin on time.
3. I like to get up in time to have a big breakfast before going to work.
4. We want to start the meeting on time, so please don’t be late.
5. The train service isn’t very good. The trains are rarely on time.
6. I almost missed my flight this morning. I got to the airport just in time.
7. I almost forgot that it was Joe’s birthday. Fortunately, I remembered in time.
8. Why aren’t you ever on time? You always keep everybody waiting.
9. at times, it is difficult to understand him because he speaks too fast.
Put in at or in (at the end, in the end)
1. I’m going away at the end of the month.
2. It took me a long time to find a job. In the end I got a job in a hotel.
3. Are you going away at the beginning of August or at the end?
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4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
I couldn’t decide what to buy Mary for her birthday. I didn’t buy her anything in the end.
We waited ages for a taxi. We gave up in the end and walked home.
Northern Sweden is beautiful, but I wouldn’t go in the middle of January.
I’ll be moving to a new address at the end of September.
At first Sarah didn’t want to go to the theater, but she came with us in the end.
I’m going away at the end of this week.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
(on the phone) “Can I speak to Chris?” “I’m sorry, he’s not here at the moment.”
Jenny’s brother is an engineer, but he’s out of work at the moment.
She’ll be here in a moment.
I’m busy now, but I’ll be with you in a moment.
I’ll come back to that point at the moment.
She put her head on the pillow, closed her eyes and in a moment was fast asleep.
Julia’s on holiday in Spain at the moment.
Mr. Brown is busy at the moment/ at this time.
Put
Put
1. If the sky is clear, you can see the stars at night.
2. If she gets really feverish in the night, give her two of these tablets.
3. People can’t go out on the street at night any more, it’s so dangerous.
4. I felt every restless in the night and had to take a sleeping tablet.
5. He would always arrive around ten at night carrying his suitcase and a bunch of flowers
6. The children were still running around the streets at midnight, when they should have been in bed.
7. I was woken up in the middle of the night by a helicopter going overhead.
8. You see. In the night there was strange wind, so I had to get up to close the window.
9. Until I changed my job, I used to lie awake at night worrying about work.
10. We never go out at night because we live too far from the town.
11.
(During /in/ throughout)
(during/ over)
(during/ for)
Underline the correct word(s).
1. They sat and rested during/for a while and then continued on their way.
2. During/For a moment I didn’t know whether he was being serious.
3. I visited most of the main museum and art galleries during/for my stay in Italy.
4. He listened to the lecture during/for a few minutes more and then left the room quietly.
5. I seem to get lots of colds, particularly during/for the winter.
6. I felt ill for/during a couple of days, but was fine after that.
7. About ten of us were taken ill during a party we were at in York.
8. You will get plenty of practical experience during the training period.
9. You can only come in for/during a few hours.
10.
For or Since?
Pre U7 P39 (6) Put for or since into each gap.
a. I haven’t seen Keith
a while.
b. He’s been in China
January.
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c. He works for a company called KMP. He has worked for them
several years.
d. He and his wife have lived next to me
their son, Tom, was bone.
e. I have known them
many years.
f. We have been friends
we were at university together.
g. His wife, Carrie, is a designer. She has had her own studio
six months.
h. I’m looking after Tom today. He’s been at my house
8.00 this morning.
Iner U7 P22 (2) Put either for or since with these time expressions.
a.
a long time
b.
ten days
c.
my last birthday
d.
the end of the holidays
e.
ages
f.
I came to England
g.
the last few days
h.
the day I met you
i.
the beginning of the lesson
(by/ until)
1. I’ve given myself until the end of September to finish the book.
2. The publishers have told me I have to finish the book by the end of September.
3. The party went on until after three o’clock.
4. You have to hand in your projects by October.
5. Students have until October to hand in their projects.
6. You have to bring my car back by the end of the month.
7. You can borrow my car until the end of the month.
8. I waited until 9:00, and then I went home.
9. By 9:00 everybody had gone home.
10. I’ll stay until Sunday lunchtime.
11. I’ll have to leave by Sunday lunchtime.
9. After/ past…………..later than
10. Before……………before a time
11. By (+ specific time)…………before or at a time
12. As from/ of (a time)………….staring from the time and continuing
13. From…to… (or through= in US English)………the start and end points of a period of time.
Manner
(in from 4)
(on from 3)
By
Put in by, in or on.
1. liz usually goes to work by bus.
2. I was Jane this morning. She was on the bus.
3. How did you get here? Did you come by train?
4. How did you get here? Did you come on the train?
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5. I decided not to go by car. I went on my bike instead.
6. I didn’t feel like walking home, so I came home in a taxi.
7. Sorry we’re late. WE missed the bus, so we had to come on foot.
8. I don’t mind going by car, but I don’t want to go in your car.
9. *Marry passed me on her bicycle.
10. *Dave is on a train.
11. *Should we go in your car or mine?
12. *George arrived in taxi.
13. *The bus was very full. There were too many people on the bus.
14. *I enjoyed the flight, but the food on the plane wasn’t very good.
15. *I don’t know where my umbrella is. Maybe I left on the bus.
By (gra Use U124 (1)) by chance/ mistake
Put in the correct preposition: by, in, on, or with.
1. I managed to put the fire out with a fire extinguisher.
2. The plane was badly damaged by lightning.
3. These photographs were taken by a friend of mine.
4. These photographs were taken with a very good camera.
5. What’s that music? I know it’s by Beethoven, but I can’t remember the name of the piece.
6. Our team lost the game because of a mistake by one of our players.
7. I finally killed the fly by a rolled-up newspaper. (with)
8. You can make the drink taste better with adding sugar. (by)
9. The report is urgent, so could you sent it to me by fax.
10. Can I pay by my credit card? (with)
11. He could only reach the window with standing on a ladder. (by)
12. The parcel is so big it would cost a fortune to send it with air. (by)
13. She managed to complete the report before the deadline by working every evening and at weekends.
14. I think she’s coming by the train. (on)
15. *Should we go in your car or mine?
16. To escape, I had to break a window with a chair.
17. He got the nail out of his shoe by a key. (with)
18. I spoke to her by the phone. (on)
By (gramea Use U124 (5)
a. Karen’s salary was $5,000 a month. Now it is $5,500.
Her salary has increased by $5000 2 month.
b. The daily newspaper used to cost 50 cents. Starting today, it costs 60 cents.
The price has gone up by 10 cents.
c. There was an election. Amy got 25 votes and John got 23.
Amy won by 2 votes.
d. I went to Lauren’s house to see her, but she had gone out five minutes before I arrived.
I missed her by 5 minutes.
(except (for))
Complete the sentences with except, except for, or except (for) for both as possible.
1. All the countries singed the agreement except (for) Spain.
2. He seemed to have hair everywhere – except on the top of his head.
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I didn’t stop working all morning, except to make a cup of coffee at around 11.00.
I don’t know what more we can do to help except encourage him to do his best in the exam.
The room was empty except for a chair in one corner.
I was never very good at any sports at school except (for) badminton.
This plant is similar to the one in our garden, except that the leaves are bigger.
We didn’t speak any language at home except (for) English.
The conference went according to plan except for the confusion over what time dinner started on the
last day.
10. We rarely go to the theatre except around Christmas when we take the children.
(beside, except (for))
Where necessary, correct these sentences with besides or except (for). If the sentence is already correct,
put a .
1. If people in the area were really concerned about the noise your children make, others except your
neighbors would have complained. (besides)
2. Except for the occasional word in English I didn’t understand anything of the Japanese film.
3. It is the best-selling brand of chocolate in all European counties besides Denmark and Greece.
(Except (for))
4. Except for his three cars, he owns two motorbikes and a small lorry. (besides)
5. In all medical operations, besides emergencies, the patient needs to give his or her consent. (except
(for))
6. Besides sugar and carbohydrates, you ought to avoid eating too much meat.
(but for) Grammar Use U109 (3)
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
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Exercises
I. Preposition of place
1. Complete the sentences. Use in, at or on.
1. Look at those people swimming
the river/ the pool/ the ocean.
2. One of the strings
my guitar.
3. Would you like sugar
your coffee.
4. The leaves that tree are a beautiful color.
5. He spends most of the day sitting
the window and looking outside.
6. I like that picture hanging
the wall
the kitchen.
7. There was an accident
the intersection this morning.
8. I wasn’t sure whether I had come to the right office. There was no name
the door.
9. I wouldn’t like a job in an office. I couldn’t spend the whole day sitting
a desk.
10. The mane the police are looking for has a scar
his right cheek.
11. Maria was wearing a silver ring
her little finger.
12. There’s no one
the room/ the building.
13. *What do you have
your hand/ mouth?
14. Who is that man standing
the bus stop/ the door/ the window?
15. Turn left
the traffic light/ the church.
16. There’s a red mark
the wall/ your shirt/ your cheek.
17. Have you seen the notice
the bulletin board/ the door?
18. *You’ll find the listings of TV programs
page 7 (of the newspaper).
19. There were a lot of people
the store. It was very crowded.
20. *(somebody giving directions) Go along this road, then turn left
the store.
21. *There is some water
the bottle.
22. *There is a label
the bottle.
23. *You’ll find the sports results
the back page of the newspaper.
24. *I was
the back of the car when the accident happened.
25. *I didn’t feel too good when I work up, so I stayed
bed.
26. Some people are prison for crimes that they did not commit.
27. A friend of mine was seriously injured in an accident yesterday. She still
the hospital.
28. *When I was a passenger in a car, I prefer to sit the front.
29. I sat
the floor/ the ground/ the grass/ a chair/ the beach.
30. Here’s a shopping list. Don’t buy anything that’s not
the list.
31. *It’s a very small town. You probably won’t find it
your map.
32. *Write your name
the back of this piece of paper.
33. *I don’t have your phone number. Could you write it
the back of this card?
34. There’s nobody living
the island. It’s uninhabited.
35. *Have you ever worked
a farm? It’s a lot like working
a ranch.
36. *Kate works
a farm.
2. Complete the sentences. Use in, at or on.
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Preposition
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1. There has been a serious accident
the motorway near Sweden.
2. She’s just moved from her flat
38 Azalea Drive.
3. We broke down the Princes Highway between Melbourne and Adelaide.
4. Talks are to be held
Downing Street, chaired by the Prime Minister.
5. My uncle owns a hardware shop
the corner of High Street and Redland Road.
6. *When I go to the movies, I prefer to sit
the front.
7. *Who is the woman
that photograph?
8. *Have you seen this article the paper?
9. *Let’s sit
the front (of the theater).
10. *John was standing the back of the crowd in the theater.
11. He’s looking the mirror.
12. *Tom is in the movie. He is sitting the last row.
13. *Is Tom
this photograph? I can’t find him.
14. *A: Is there anything interesting the paper today?
*B: Well, there’s an unusual picture the back page.
15. *(in a restaurant) “Where should we sit?” “Over there,
the corner.”
16. Tom’s parents live
St. Louis.
17. The Louvre is a famous art museum
Paris.
18. We spent a few days
New York.
19. It will be the biggest event of its kind ever held
this country.
20. In Britain they drive
the left.
21. Our apartment is
the second floor of the building.
22. The post office is
the left. And the bank is
the right.
23. My office is
the second floor. It’s
the left as you come out of the elevator.
24. *We stopped at a small town
the way to Montreal.
25. *I usually buy a newspaper
the way to work in the morning.
26. *I live Main Street. My brother lives Elm.
27. Paris is
the Seine River.
28. *My sister has an apartment
Third Avenue.
29. San Francisco is
the west coast of the United State.
30. Angel’s house is
the end of the street.
31.
the end of street, there is a path leading to the river.
32. Write your mane
the top of the page.
33. You will find the page number
the bottom of the page.
34. Tom is standing
the end of the line.
35. The cat is
the top of the stair.
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Exercises
I. Preposition of Place
1. Complete the sentences with across or over. If both are possible, write across/over.
1. They cycled
America from the Pacific to the Atlantic.
2. On the other side of the river,
the bridge, is the richer side of town.
3. The children next door are a real nuisance. Their football is always coming
the fence and damaging the flowers in my garden.
4. After the children’s party, sweets and cakes were scattered all
the kitchen floor. Or
right
the kitchen floor.
5. The dog ran away from me and disappeared
the hill.
6. I saw the children wandering slowly
the road.
7. Pedro was so short, he couldn’t see
the steering wheel.
8. He lives just
the border, in Switzerland.
9. Martha drew a line
the map and said, “I’ll visit all the houses to the north of here.
2. Underline the correct or most appropriate words(s) in each sentence.
1. The thieves broke the window and climbed across/over/along/ though it.
2. He was the first man to row single-handed across/over/ along/ through the Atlantic.
3. There was so much traffic; I was fortunate to get across/over/along/through the road without
being knocked over.
4. There were sunbeds and sunshades across/over/along/through the entire length of the beach.
5. She made her way up the hill across/over/along/through a narrow path.
6. He leapt across/over/over/through the wall and made his escape.
3. Correct the prepositions (above, over, below, under) if necessary, or put a .
1. She put her hands above her eyes and began to cry.
2. Below the screen is small microphone that picks up the computer-user’s voice.
3. They left their key below a mat by the front door.
4. There was a crack in the wall over the window.
5. He pulled his hat above his ears and went out into the cold.
6. She just swept the dust under the carpet.
7. The path runs high over the river and the view is wonderful.
8. She looked out of the window. Twenty feet under her, in the garden, was a fox.
9. He was unhurt apart from a mall cut above his eye.
4. Between or among?
Underline the correct answer.
1. The boy walked into the room between/ among his mother and father.
2. During that period, the Atlantic Ocean was a narrow lake between/ among what is now Africa
and North America.
3. There was no-one from Japan between/among the many tourists on the coach.
4. British makes were noticeably absent between/among the cars in the car park.
5. The male penguin incubates the egg between/ among its feet.
6. I had a pain between/among my eyes.
7. She looked between/among all the coats on the rack until she found her own.
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8. I took my seat between/ among Toni and Ingrid.
5. Complete the sentences with between or among. If you can use either between or
among, write between/among.
1. They only had one bottle of water to share between/among four of them.
2. My brother was among the successful applicants for the new jobs in the company.
3. There are particularly high rates of suicide among young men on the island.
4. There was general agreement between/among the members of choir that they should sing one
more song.
5. Since the meeting in Warsaw, relations between Poland, Hungary and Germany have steadily
improved.
6. There is little difference between the President and the challengers to his leadership.
7. You could be among the many winners of the lottery this week.
8. The ever-widening economic gap between the North and the South must be deal with now.
9. I have difficulty distinguishing between butter and margarine.
6. Near, by, beside, nearest, close to, between or among?
Correct the sentences.
1. We went to a concert performed at the place of Versailles by Paris.
2. I left my suitcase beside the reception desk at the hotel, but when I got back it had gone.
3. When I smelt gas in the hotel room, I just pushed open the next window.
4. We stayed in a hotel close to Rome Airport.
5. In Rome we saw, between other things, the Colosseum and the Trevi Fountain.
6. There’s a lot of expansion going on in the country, including a huge new exhibition center being
built by the capital.
II. Preposition of Movement
1. Put in to/at/in/into there necessary. If no preposition is necessary, leave an empty space (-).
a. Three people were taken
the hospital after the accident.
b. I met Kate on my
home.
c. Should we take a taxi
the station, or should we walk?
d. I have to go
the bank to day to change some money.
e. The Rhine River flows
the North Sea.
f. I’m tired. As soon as I get
home, I’m going
bed.
g. Marcel is French. He has just returned
France after two year in Brazil.
h. Are you going
Linda’s party next week?
i. His family moved
New York when he was three.
j. Have you ever been
China?
k. We got stuck in a traffic jam on our way
the airport.
l. Welcome
the Morgan Hotel. We hope you enjoy your stay here.
m. What time does this train get
Chicago?
n. What time does this train arrive
Chicago?
o. What time did you get
home last night?
p. What time do you usually arrive
work in the morning?
q. When we got
the theater, there was a long line outside.
r. I arrived
home feeling very tired.
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2. Write sentences using got + into/ out of/ on/ off.
a. You were walking home. A friend passed you in her car. She saw you, stopped, and offered you a
ride. She opened the door. What did you do? I
.
b. You were waiting for the bus. At last your bus came. The doors opened. What did you do then? I
.
c. You drove home in your car. You arrived at your house and parked the car. What did you do
then? I
.
d. You were traveling by train to Chicago. When the train got to Chicago, what did you do? I
.
e. You needed a taxi. After a few minutes a taxi stopped for you. You opened the door. What did
you do then? I
.
f. You were traveling by air. At the end of your flight, the plane landed at the airport and stopped.
The doors were opened, and you took your bag and stood up. What did you do then? I
the plane.
III. Preposition of Time
1. Put in at, on, in or nothing.
a. Columbus made his first voyage from Europe to America
1492.
b. Most people in the United States do not work
Sundays.
c. After working hard during the day, I like to relax
the evening.
d. The first man walked on the moon
July 21, 1969.
e. Jazz became popular in the United States
the 1920s.
f. Mozart was born in Salzburg
1756.
g. I saw her
Tuesday.
h. The price of electricity is going up
October.
i. I’ve been invited to a wedding
February 14th.
j.
Saturday night I went to bed
11.00.
k. We traveled overnight to Paris and arrived
5:00
the morning.
l. We meet
every Saturday afternoon to go shopping.
m. The course begins
January 7th and ends sometime
April.
n. The programe was shown on television
one afternoon last week.
o. I might not be at home
Tuesday morning, but I’ll be there
the afternoon.
p. I’m afraid she’s left now, but you’ll be able to se her
the day after tomorrow.
q. The new soap opera on BBC2 is starting
tomorrow.
2. Put in at, on, or in .
a. It’s difficult to listen if everyone is speaking
the same time.
b. Many of Europe’s great cathedrals were built
the Middle Ages.
c. There are usually a lot of parties
New Year’s Eve.
d. I hope the weather will be nice
the weekend.
e. The telephone and the doorbell rang
the same time.
f. Marry and Henry always go out for dinner
their anniversary.
g. Henry is 63. He’ll be retiring from his job
two years’ time.
h.
the past, attendance at school was not compulsory, but it is today.
i. I'll see you
Ester.
j. We often go walking
the weekend.
k. We went to a party Ester Sunday.
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3. Which is correct, (a), (b), or both of them
a.
a) I’ll see you Friday.
b) I’ll see you on Friday.
b.
a) I’ll see you next Friday.
b) I’ll see you on next Friday.
c.
a) Paul got married February.
b) Paul got married in February.
d.
a) Do you work every Saturday?
b) Do you work on every Saturday?
e.
a) They never go out Sunday evenings. b) They never go out on Sunday
evenings.
f.
a) We usually take a short vacation
b) We usually take a short vacation
Christmas.
at Christmas.
g.
a) What are you doing the weekend?
b) What are you doing on the
weekend?
h.
a) Will you be here Tuesday?
b) Will you be here on Tuesday?
i.
a) I hope to go to Europe the summer.
b) I hope to go to Europe in the
summer.
4. Complete the sentences with on time, in time or at time.
e. The bus was late this morning, but it’s usually
.
f. The movie was supposed to start at 8: 30, but it didn’t begin
.
g. I like to get up
to have a big breakfast before going to work.
h. We want to start the meeting
, so please don’t be late.
i. The train service isn’t very good. The trains are rarely
.
j. I almost missed my flight this morning. I got to the airport just
.
k. I almost forgot that it was Joe’s birthday. Fortunately, I remembered
.
l. Why aren’t you ever
? You always keep everybody waiting.
m.
, it is difficult to understand him because he speaks too fast.
5. Put in at or in (at the end, in the end)
a. I’m going away
the end of the month.
b. It took me a long time to find a job.
the end I got a job in a hotel.
c. Are you going away
the beginning of August or
the end?
d. I couldn’t decide what to buy Mary for her birthday. I didn’t buy her anything in the end.
e. We waited ages for a taxi. We gave up
the end and walked home.
f. Northern Sweden is beautiful, but I wouldn’t go
the middle of January.
g. I’ll be moving to a new address
the end of September.
h. At first Sarah didn’t want to go to the theater, but she came with us
the end.
i. I’m going away
the end of this week.
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6. Put in a or at the to complete the sentences.
a. (On the phone) “Can I speak to Chris?” “I’m sorry, he’s not here
moment.”
b. Jenny’s brother is an engineer, but he’s out of work
moment.
c. She’ll be here
moment.
d. I’m busy now, but I’ll be with you
moment.
e. I’ll come back to that point
moment.
f. She put her head on the pillow, closed her eyes and
moment was fast asleep.
g. Julia’s on holiday in Spain
moment.
h. Mr. Brown is busy
moment.
7. Put in the or at to complete the sentences.
a. If the sky is clear, you can see the stars
night.
b. If she gets really feverish
night, give her two of these tablets.
c. People can’t go out on the street
night any more, it’s so dangerous.
d. I felt very restless
night and had to take a sleeping tablet.
e. He would always arrive around ten
night carrying his suitcase and a bunch of flowers
f. The children were still running around the streets
midnight, when they should have been in bed.
g. I was woken up
middle of the night by a helicopter going overhead.
h. You see.
night there was strange wind, so I had to get up to close the window.
i. Until I changed my job, I used to lie awake
night worrying about work.
j. We never go out
night because we live too far from the town.
8. Underline the correct word(s).
a. They sat and rested during/for a while and then continued on their way.
b. During/For a moment I didn’t know whether he was being serious.
c. I visited most of the main museum and art galleries during/for my stay in Italy.
d. He listened to the lecture during/for a few minutes more and then left the room quietly.
e. I seem to get lots of colds, particularly during/for the winter.
f. I felt ill for/during a couple of days, but was fine after that.
g. About ten of us were taken ill during/for a party we were at in York.
h. You will get plenty of practical experience during/for the training period.
i. You can only come in for/during a few hours.
9. For or Since? Put for or since into each gap.
a. I haven’t seen Keith
a while.
b. He’s been in China
January.
c. He works for a company called KMP. He has worked for them
several years.
d. He and his wife have lived next to me
their son, Tom, was bone.
e. I have known them
many years.
f. We have been friends
we were at university together.
g. His wife, Carrie, is a designer. She has had her own studio
six months.
h. I’m looking after Tom today. He’s been at my house
8.00 this morning.
i.
a long time
j.
ten days
n.
I came to England
k.
my last birthday
o.
the last few days
l.
the end of the holidays
p.
the day I met you
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m.
ages
q.
the beginning of the lesson
10. Choose by or until to complete these sentences.
a. I’ve given myself
the end of September to finish the book.
b. The publishers have told me I have to finish the book
the end of September.
c. The party went on
after three o’clock.
d. You have to hand in your projects
October.
e. Students have
October to hand in their projects.
f. You have to bring my car back
the end of the month.
g. You can borrow my car
the end of the month.
h. I waited
9:00, and then I went home.
i.
9:00 everybody had gone home.
j. I’ll stay
Sunday lunchtime.
k. I’ll have to leave
Sunday lunchtime.
IV. Preposition of Manner
1. Put in by, in or on.
a. liz usually goes to work
bus.
b. I was Jane this morning. She was
the bus.
c. How did you get here? Did you come
train?
d. How did you get here? Did you come
the train?
e. I decided not to go
car. I went
my bike instead.
f. I didn’t feel like walking home, so I came home
a taxi.
g. Sorry we’re late. WE missed the bus, so we had to come
foot.
h. I don’t mind going
car, but I don’t want to go
your car.
i. *Marry passed me
her bicycle.
j. *Dave is
a train.
k. *Should we go
your car or mine?
l. *George arrived
taxi.
m. *The bus was very full. There were too many people
the bus.
n. *I enjoyed the flight, but the food
the plane wasn’t very good.
o. *I don’t know where my umbrella is. Maybe I left
the bus.
2. Put in the correct preposition: by, in, on, or with.
a. I managed to put the fire out
a fire extinguisher.
b. The plane was badly damaged
lightning.
c. These photographs were taken
a friend of mine.
d. These photographs were taken
a very good camera.
e. What’s that music? I know it’s
Beethoven, but I can’t remember the name of the piece.
f. Our team lost the game because of a mistake
one of our players.
g. I finally killed the fly
a rolled-up newspaper.
h. You can make the drink taste better
adding sugar.
i. The report is urgent, so could you sent it to me
fax.
j. Can I pay
my credit card?
k. He could only reach the window
standing on a ladder.
l. The parcel is so big it would cost a fortune to send it
air.
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m. She managed to complete the report before the deadline
working every evening and at
weekends.
n. I think she’s coming
the train.
o. *Should we go
your car or mine?
p. To escape, I had to break a window
a chair.
q. He got the nail out of his shoe
a key.
r. I spoke to her
the phone.
3. Complete the sentences using by.
a. Karen’s salary was $5,000 a month. Now it is $5,500.
Her salary has increased
.
b. The daily newspaper used to cost 50 cents. Starting today, it costs 60 cents.
The price has gone up
.
c. There was an election. Amy got 25 votes and John got 23.
Amy won
.
d. I went to Lauren’s house to see her, but she had gone out five minutes before I arrived.
I missed her
.
V. Preposition of Manner
1. Complete the sentences with except, except for, or except (for) for both as possible.
a. All the countries singed the agreement
Spain.
b. He seemed to have hair everywhere –
on the top of his head.
c. I didn’t stop working all morning,
to make a cup of coffee at around 11.00.
d. I don’t know what more we can do to help
encourage him to do his best in the exam.
e. The room was empty
a chair in one corner.
f. I was never very good at any sports at school
badminton.
g. This plant is similar to the one in our garden,
that the leaves are bigger.
h. We didn’t speak any language at home
English.
i. The conference went according to plan
the confusion over what time dinner started on
the last day.
j. We rarely go to the theatre
around Christmas when we take the children.
2. Where necessary, correct these sentences with besides or except (for). If the sentence is already
correct, put a .
a. If people in the area were really concerned about the noise your children make, others except your
neighbors would have complained.
b. Except for the occasional word in English I didn’t understand anything of the Japanese film.
c. It is the best-selling brand of chocolate in all European counties besides Denmark and Greece.
d. Except for his three cars, he owns two motorbikes and a small lorry.
e. In all medical operations, besides emergencies, the patient needs to give his or her consent.
f. Besides sugar and carbohydrates, you ought to avoid eating too much meat.
(but for) Grammar Use U109 (3)
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