PREPOSITION EXERCISES

Draw a circle around the correct preposition in parentheses in the exercises below:

(A) Place or Position or Direction

1. Do you live (at, on) Bay Street (in, on) Newport?

2. I hung the picture (above, on) the fireplace.

3. She walked (in, into) the kitchen and put her packages (on, over) the table.

4. Is Jane (at, in) home? No, she is (on, at) the library.

5. Mary is sitting (in, on) the sofa (at, in) the living room.

6. Michigan is situated (in, between) Lake Michigan and Lake Huron.

7. While waiting for my train, I took a walk (around, across) the station.

8. A formation of twelve airplanes flew (over, on top of) our house.

9. The artist spends many hours (in, on) his studio (on, at) 50 Charles Street.

10. John found a note pinned (in, on) his door which said: Meet me (at, in) the corner of Pine
and Fifth Streets.

11. The Blake family lives (at, on) Third Street (in, on) Cleveland, Ohio.

12. Dont forget to put your return address (in, on) the envelope.

13. He sat (near, against) the camp fire.

14. Mr. Flanagan, who is (from, of) Ireland, is staying (at, to) his sisters home in Boston.

15. Someone has spilled ink (in, on) this rug and has burned a hole (in, on) that one.

16. The door was locked; so I shoved the letter (under, around) the door.

17. He piled the books (above, on top of) the table.

18. He arrived (in, at) Switzerland last week.

19. You are ahead of me. Your name is (above, at the top of) the list.

20. Your score on the examination is well (above, over) average.

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1. Does the movie begin (at, on) 6:30? No, it will not begin (until, for) 9:00; so do not arrive
(before, by) that time.

2. He asked me to come (at, in) noon.

3. We will go to Florida (since, during) the month of January.

4. The stores stay open (on, in) Mondays (until, for) 9:00p.m.

5. Mary has been in the United States (for, during) a year.

6. John has lived in France (for, since) two years.

7. I read (for, during) three hours, (at, from) 9:00p.m. (until, by) 12:00.

8. Did you meet Mr. Green (at, during) your stay in Savannah?

9. No, I did not see him because I was there (for, during) only two hours.

10. The train is ( on, in) time. It will arrive (in, by) three hours.

11. Is your birthday (in, on) April? Mine is (in, on) April 7.

12. Come (by, on) 8:00 if you can; no one will be seated at the theater (after, since) 8:30.

13. I try to get to school (in, on) time to have a cup of coffee before my first class.

14. He will leave for Thailand (at, in) the end of August. There will be a farewell party for him
(in, on) the twentieth of August.

15. Columbus discovered America (in, on) 1492.

16. The projector broke down twice (for, during) the showing of the film.

17. He had been waiting here (during, since) noon.

18. I received my bill (to, in) the middle of the month.

19. Can you be ready (by, on) six oclock?

20. We plan to finish this project (around, until) the first of the year.

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1. We accept your kind invitation (by, with) pleasure.

2. I should like to read that book (by, of) Ernest Hemingway.

3. These oranges are sold (of, by) the dozen.

4. The door (of, at) the house is painted red.

5. He says he can communicate (by, of) mental telepathy.

6. Always sign important papers (by, in) ink.

7. Would you rather write (by, with) a pen or pencil?

8. Over one-third (of, in) the oranges are spoiled.

9. The first speech will be given (by, of) Mr. Steele.

10. Do you like to travel (by, in) bus?

11. He toured the country (in, by) a station wagon.

12. How would you like to go (by, with) us (by, in) our car?

13. This liquid smells (like, as) turpentine.

14. This cake is (for, to) lunch.

15. We always buy olive oil (of, by) the gallon.

16. The sound (of, by) rain lulls me to sleep.

17. It looks (like, as) a nice day.

18. It will take four yards (of, by) material to make this dress.

19. He always speaks (in, by) a loud voice.

20. Stanley took a temporary job (as, like) a chauffeur.

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1. John Doe, who graduated (of, from) the University of North Carolina two years ago, is

now doing graduate work (in, on) engineering (at, to) Georgia Tech. He expects to receive

his Masters degree (by, in) next June. After that, he plans to accept a job (as, like) a technician

(by, with) an oil company (in, at) South America.

2. Jim was walking (across, over) the campus (in, at) noon when he met a friend whom he

had not seen (since, during) summer. They stopped (in front of, around) the gymnasium and sat

down (in, on) the steps. After they had talked (for, during) about ten minutes, Jim said, I must

go (toward, to) Jefferson Hall this semester. Why dont you drop by some afternoon (over,

after) classes?

3. Mr. Hill arrived in New York (on, in) May 10 (at, on) eight oclock (in, on) the evening.

He decided to call on his uncle who lived (on, in) Fifth Avenue. He got on a bus (at, of) the

station and put his fare (on, into) the farebox. The bus was very crowded, so Mr. Hill had to

stand up all the way.

When he reached 85th Street, Mr. Hill got off the bus and walked a short distance (in, to)

the apartment building (in, of) which his uncle lived. He knocked (at, in) the door (of, on) his

uncles apartment. He waited (for, during) a few minutes, but no one came (to, at) the door.

He was disappointed to find no one (to, at) home. He didnt know where to go because his

uncle had promised to reserve a room for him (at, by) a downtown hotel. He saw a bench (at,

to) the end of the hall, and he sat down (on, in) it to wait for his uncle.

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1. They arrived____________Bombay__________8:00p.m.__________July 30.

2. Charles lives____________College Avenue_________an apartment.

3. Phoenix is located__________the state_________Arizona.

4. John asked me to go_________him to buy a pair________shoes.

5. Put a pad_____________the hot dish to protect the table.

6. Mr. Walker has__________a grey suit today.

7. This story was written__________Conan Doyle.

8. My aunt stayed at our house__________two weeks.

9. Mary is a good housekeeper; she always sweeps________the bed.

10. They had to drive_________ the block four times before they found a parking place.

11. There is an ink spot________the collar_________your shirt.

12. Please write_________ink, and dont forget to write__________every other line.

13. Did you receive a letter____________your brother yesterday?

14. The bus will not leave___________fifteen minutes.

15. Elections are held___________the first Tuesday___________November.

16. Maximo always entertains us_________stories of his experiences.

17. Does this bus go________Central City?

18. Mr. And Mrs. Simpson have lived________Chesnut Street__________six years.

19. Dr. Parks has been living_________Mobile_________October. His home is________

20. He dived________the lake and swam__________the boat.

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1. Would you please tell me how to get_________the baseball park? Certainly. You go down

Arch Street two blocks and turn left__________King Street. Stay__________King

Street_________about two miles. You will go________a bridge and_________a tunnel. You

will come to Ocean Avenue about four blocks after you leave the tunnel. Turn

right_______Ocean Avenue, and________the middle of the block you will see the main

entrance________the ball park. I would suggest that you drive your car_______the block and

park_______the parking lot behind the field.

2. __________June 13 the Circle Players will open__________Star Theater________a

revival_________George Bernard Shaws play, Major Barbara. When the play

opened_________Philadelphia a week ago, the critics gave the Circle Players enthusiastic

reviews. Good reviews are not unusual for the Circle Players, who have thrilled

audiences________ their performances__________the past decade. In fact, they were so loudly

acclaimed_________London for their performance of Major Barbara that the play

ran_________three years.

Tickets are now on sale_________the box office__________the Star

Theatre__________the three week engagement. There will be a performance every night, except

Sunday,___________8:30p.m., and a matinee________Wednesday and Saturday_________2:30

p.m. Reservations may be made__________mail or telephone.

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