PREPOSITIONS

1.
WITH his workers.
1. The factory owner is not in the habit of fraternising _________
AWAY the fire.
2. All the animals in the forest fled _________
3. If you have a grievance _________
WITH the company, please lodge a formal written complaint.
AGAINST rust for eight years.
4. My car is guaranteed _________
ABOUT and to sit still and concentrate.
5. The teacher told me to stop fidgeting _________
WITH
6. I was furious _________ my sister _________
FOR her always borrowing my clothes without my
permission.
7. His glee _________
AT the news of his success was a joy to see.
8. You mustn’t grieve _________
OVER one trivial mistake.
9. He has a fixation _________
ON becoming the best doctor in the world.
10. She does nothing but fret _________
ABOUT her being overweight yet never tries to diet.
TO
11. His fidelity _________ the firm has won him great respect.
12. He is always gloating _________
ABOUT his meteoric rise as an actor.
AT
13. He is certainly good _________ maths, if not much else.
AT
14. Her sales methods have been criticised as being _________ odds with company policy.
BY
15. I found the ring in the street purely _________ luck.
FOR
16. I didn’t go to see him _________ fear of catching his cold.
FOR
17. That house has been up _________ sale for two years.
18. Come to the party, _________
BY all means.
AGAINSThumanity.
19. We regard this atrocity as an offence _________
IN
20. _________ all, I spent £500 on holiday.

2.
1. Surgeons operated _________ her last night; her condition is said to be satisfactory.
2. The teacher was deaf _________ Nick’s explanation of why he hadn’t done his homework.
3. It was so cold in the tent that the children had to huddle up _________ to keep warm.
4. She haggled _________ the shopkeeper over the price of the souvenir.
5. We still haven’t heard _________ the insurance company about our claim.
6. Commuters found themselves faced _________ a lengthy public transport strike.
7. I’ve received an invitation _________ the annual nurses’ conference in Glasgow.
8. Mr Smith is becoming increasingly impatient _________ this class as they never pay attention.
9. I’m indebted _________ my husband for his support in my new business venture.
10. The computer in the reception is inferior _________ the one in my office.
11. He says he’s feeling a bit _________ colour today.
12. I’m afraid _________ regard to your request, m a rot there’s nothing I can do about it.
13. She wasn’t allowed in the cinema because she was _________ age.
14. The castaways were stranded _________ an island for nearly a week.
15. He is a solicitor _________ profession.
16. This coat was _________ a sale when I bought it so it was very cheap.
17. He is _________ arrears with his loan repayments.
18. I will lend you the money _________ condition that you pay it back within the month.
19. Strawberries are only _________ season in May and June.
20. He is an expert _________ name only; he actually knows very little about the subject.

3.
1. Terry McWoddle has been named _________ the new chairman of the football club.
2. Several flights were delayed and so the departure lounge was jam-packed _________ angry
travellers.
3. The harassed mother juggled _________ four bags of shopping, a pushchair and a dog in the middle
of the busy high street.
4. Many vegetarians argue that there is no justification _________ eating meat in this day and age.
5. I’ve been asked to key this information _________ the computer immediately.
6. The businessman insisted that he had no knowledge _________ the missing currency.
7. When I was abroad I longed _________ a traditional English Sunday lunch.
8. My husband’s always lazing _________ while I’m always busy.
9. The donkey climbed the steep track laden _________ bags of oranges.
10. Sarah is jealous _________ her sister because she is much more popular.
11. She is looking _________ for a new job, but hasn’t found anything yet.
12. No one is kinder _________ children than he is.
13. I think we should limit this discussion _________ the facts.
14. My uncle lectures _________ the History of Art at the university.
15. You mustn’t judge people _________ the way they dress.
16. Their new baby is being named _________ his father.
17. The man kept his child _________ his side throughout the journey.
18. He’s not very clever academically but he’s good _________ D.I.Y.
19. Margot prefers not to buy goods _________ credit.
20. He went to the meeting _________ disguise so as not to be recognised.

4.
1. I muddled _________ the jigsaw pieces and the children did the puzzle again.
2. I waved at a complete stranger in the street whom I mistook _________ my cousin.
3. Nobody likes Rick because he’s so mean _________ money.
4. I asked the assistant which make _________ hi-fi he recommended.
5. All the evidence militated _________ a conclusion in our favour.
6. I was born in Britain but was naturalised _________ Italy.
7. I’ve been asked to notify the personnel department _________ my new address.
8. The doctor is not noted _________ his tact when it comes to dealing with patients.
9. The swimming pool attendant was negligent _________ his duties and the little girl almost drowned.
10. There were a lot of problems at the beginning of the school year, but _________ the end everything
was all right.
11. He was so surprised by the news that he was _________ a loss for words.
12. Our teacher was _________ a bad mood today; he shouted _________ everyone.
13. Try to get the photograph _________ focus this time.
14. They were _________ the trail of the Yeti when the blizzard started.
15. _________ answer to your question, the meeting will take place next Tuesday.
16. Railway engineers joined three additional carriages _________ the train to accommodate the extra
passengers.
17. Classes have increased _________ size since falling levels of government funding have reduced the
number of teachers in the school.
18. He joined _________ when he was seventeen and he’s been in the army ever since.
19. Impatient _________ her arrival, he kept running to the window every time a car passed.
20. The organisers tried to get everyone to join _________ the games.

5.
1. They spent the summer _________ a cruise travelling round the world.
2. We are _________ favour of abolishing experiments on live animals.
3. When they got home, their house was _________ fire.
4. _________ her boss’s request, she has worked overtime nearly every day this month.
5. They estimated the candidates’ popularity _________ means of opinion polls.
6. _________ a guess, I’d say he weighs about 70 kilos.
7. Very short skirts worn with thick woollen tights are _________ vogue at the moment.
8. She was brought up _________ a farm so she is used to living in the countryside.
9. Paul has been _________ leave from work for the past month.
10. _________ second thoughts, I don’t think I want to go to the concert.
11. Being new _________ the neighbourhood, they were unable to find where the greengrocer’s was.
12. That’s typical _________ Peter to refuse to help!
13. I’m having trouble _________ my car; it keeps stalling.
14. Jenny is terrified _________ flying.
15. Our neighbours are very tolerant _________ the noise we make.
16. My father is fascinated with cars. In fact, he’s in the garage tinkering _________ the old Ford right
now.
17. Tuck your shirt _________ your trousers!
18. The river was teeming _________ trout.
19. She is so thirsty _________ success that she would do anything.
20. He triumphed _________ his competitors by flooding the market place with advertising.

6.
1. Mary was impatient _________ the Christmas holidays to arrive.
2. Their school building is _________ repair, so they are having lessons in the old library.
3. She was _________ the point of leaving when the phone rang.
4. People were chosen _________ random to try the new product.
5. _________ answer to your question, the meeting will take place next Tuesday.
6. Don’t be so impatient _________ Sue. She’s only 10 and doesn’t understand things quickly.
7. _________ no account must you open your book during the test.
8. Gill wasn’t her usual cheerful self today. She was _________ the weather.
9. _________ the whole, I think your work is quite satisfactory.
10. As there was little time left, he outlined his plans _________ brief.
11. Jam oozed _________ the doughnut when she bit into it.
12. He is proud _________ his new sports car.
13. The driver was oblivious _________ the red light and went straight through it.
14. The schoolchildren were overburdened _________ homework.
15. My mother has an obsession _________ cleanliness and is forever doing the housework.
16. The surgeon operated _________ the woman with the fractured hip.
17. My brother is so mean that he hates to part _________ a single penny!
18. The villagers left their homes in the valley and moved to higher grounds as a precaution _________
flooding.
19. The shop sent me the cooker _________ approval as I wasn’t sure it was the model I wanted.
20. He has a proclivity _________ being dishonest in business.

7.
1. We had to queue _________ before we could get into the cinema last night.
2. Heavy rain resulted _________ widespread flooding.
3. I was reminded _________ my childhood when I heard that nursery rhyme.
4. Green vegetables are rich _________ vitamins and minerals.
5. She is quick _________ doing mental arithmetic.
6. Queen Victoria reigned _________ Britain and Ireland for more than sixty years.
7. The sight of the snake made him recoil _________ horror.
8. His style of writing is reminiscent _________ Thomas Hardy’s.
9. There has been a sharp rise _________ unemployment this year.
10. Please keep _________ touch after you’ve gone back to America.
11. As she didn’t have a lot of cash, she bought the fridge _________ credit.
12. They live _________ the outskirts of a large industrial town.
13. _________ average, English students study at university for three years.
14. Mike is not really _________ tune with the rest of the group.
15. The writer is very much _________ favour with the public at the moment.
16. What is _________ the agenda for today’s meeting?
17. _________ the one hand, he’s a dependable worker, but he is also very slow.
18. Are you _________ the mood for a walk on the beach?
19. Jackie is hopeless _________ mathematics.
20. Mrs Heath pleaded _________ her husband not to resign from his job.

8.
1. He has an excellent lawyer acting _________ him and is bound to win the case.
2. The board of directors is meeting today to appoint a replacement _________ the retiring chairman.
3. He was very solicitous _________ our comfort and made every effort to ensure we had a pleasant
journey.
4. We’d better go out for dinner; the food we have in the house isn’t sufficient _________ the six of us.
5. When the dam broke, a surge _________ water rushed down the mountain.
6. As soon as they met Joe and Elizabeth were smitten _________ each other.
7. I can’t pay the electricity bill _________ next week as money is short right now.
8. The manager was sympathetic _________ their request for a non-smoking area.
9. Her colleagues intend to support her _________ her fight against discrimination in the workplace.
10. They’re bringing out a sequel _________ this television series next summer.
11. I acted _________ impulse and bought my wife a large bunch of flowers.
12. He’s not only a comedian, but also an expert _________ ventriloquism.
13. We agreed _________ his plan and started making preparations immediately.
14. None of us could agree _________ what to buy our teacher as a present.
15. Sam’s views are often so outrageous that people rarely agree _________ him.
16. The secretary’s argument _________ her boss led to her being fired.
17. There are strong arguments _________ banning the use of aerosol sprays.
18. On our honeymoon we argued _________ everything, from the food to the weather!
19. The explorer arrived _________ the conclusion that he was the first person to reach the ancient site.
20. You must show your passport as soon as you arrive _________ a new country.

9.
1. Don’t tell me you like his taste _________ clothes! He looks terrible!
2. Working flexitime has many advantages _________ regular working hours.
3. This summer, admission _________ most cinemas is double what it was last year.
4. The customer was very angry _________ the assistant’s casual attitude towards him.
5. Young children are awkward _________ dancing as they can’t co-ordinate their movements well.
6. Her admission _________ guilt shocked everyone; no one thought she was capable of fraud.
7. My husband is so awkward _________ a needle and thread that I have to sew on all his shirt buttons
myself.
8. I was very angry _________ being woken up in the middle of the night by an alarm bell.
9. My new computer has the advantage _________ being more compact than my old one.
10. The government was anxious _________ the influx of refugees into the country.
11. Our visa is valid _________ one year and will subsequently need renewing.
12. She felt very uneasy _________ leaving the baby with Miriam for the evening.
13. After suffering a major illness, he was very vulnerable _________ minor ailments such as colds.
14. He didn’t just express his aversion _________ cloning but also argued _________ it in a very
persuasive way.
15. I can vouch _________ Sandra’s integrity, so I recommend we include her in our discussions.
16. The boys ran down to the garden and vaulted _________ the fence at the bottom.
17. Clara is unswerving _________ her determination to become a lawyer.
18. While running to answer the telephone, I tripped _________ my brother’s briefcase.
19. She’s patient _________ children and so is a very good teacher.
20. The food at that restaurant was labelled “unfit _________ human consumption” by the environmental
health officer.

10.
1. I’m very wary _________ riding that horse; it’s been known to shy at traffic.
2. The schoolboy winced _________ the sight of the cane in the headmaster’s hand.
3. She yearns _________ a relaxing holiday in the sun.
4. You won’t solve your problems by wallowing _________ self-pity.
5. The student wrestled _________ the difficult mathematics problem.
6. Wind and rain have whittled away _________ the old stone wall for the past three centuries.
7. Ray winked _________ us to show that he wasn’t being serious.
8. After six months in the countryside, Alan has a yen _________ the bright lights of the city.
9. The woman yelled _________ the boys when they ran through her garden.
10. She tried not to yield _________ temptation and have another piece of cake.
11. The spy had little choice _________ the matter but to destroy the microfilm.
12. There’s no point crying _________ things you can’t change.
13. We had to choose _________ a hotel in Rome and a villa in Tuscany for our last holiday.
14. The restaurant menu offered a choice _________ trout, beef or chicken.
15. Membership of the society has decreased _________ number since last year.
16. The national debt has been decreased _________ £10 billion this year.
17. Do you mean you still haven’t decided _________ your holiday yet?
18. She can’t decide _________ what style of wedding dress to buy.
19. If you clean the hall, we’ll deal _________ the kitchen together.
20. My uncle deals _________ antique furniture.

11.
1. He doesn’t seem to be very happy _________ his new job; he always looks rather worried and
depressed these days.
2. As she handed over the gift, she said that she hoped we would be very happy _________ our new
home.
3. It will be good _________ Thomas to have a strict teacher; he’s never had any discipline at home.
4. The dispute occurred because the manager is so hopeless _________ people; he has absolutely no
idea of how to handle his workforce.
5. We’ve just heard _________ his unexpected promotion.
6. Nervous about facing an interview panel, she hesitated _________ the door and took a deep breath
before entering the room.
7. A strong draught blew into the room through the gap _________ the door.
8. Ruth was a genius _________ mathematics and was awarded a scholarship to Cambridge when she
was only fourteen years old.
9. Have you heard _________ the lake “Loch Ness” in Scotland?
10. He’s a genius _________ a pencil and can capture a likeness in a few deft strokes.
11. His new stereo system was expensive but it’s guaranteed _________ fifteen years so it was
worthwhile paying more.
12. My friend is worried because she hasn’t heard _________ her sister for days.
13. She has a real genius _________ languages and has already mastered the rudiments of Greek!
14. There is a popular superstition which says that anyone who has a gap _________ their two front
teeth will be lucky throughout their life.
15. She hesitated _________ taking any action, hoping that there was no real cause for alarm.
16. I can’t honestly say that I’m happy _________ your decision to emigrate to France.
17. She’s very good _________ animals and takes food out to the stray dogs in the street every morning.
18. The new wonder watch from Seiko is guaranteed _________ any type of breakage, including water
damage and accident.
19. The baby was crying _________ its milk.
20. Having always been good _________ at maths, he decided to study it at university.

12.
1. Although we were all rather irritated by the situation at the time, we laughed _________ it afterwards.
2. Tom lectured his son _________ the dangers of riding a motorcycle.
3. The summer dress was lined _________ light cotton to make it less transparent.
4. He was listening _________ the radio when he heard the news of the earthquake.
5. I’m expecting an important call; could you listen _________ the telephone while I pop out to the
shops?
6. He doesn’t have any savings and, since being made redundant, has been living _________ his family.
7. The neighbours are very anxious _________ their missing daughter to phone home.
8. Mark was saved _________ drowning by the heroic action of his brother.
9. Since passing his accountancy exams, George has had his salary increased _________ 10%.
10. Susan’s quest _________ a satisfying job was at last realised.
11. _________ everyone’s astonishment, she arrived at the party in a Rolls Royce.
12. My cousin has a flair _________ languages and can speak more than six.
13. You should not use aerosols because they’re harmful _________ the environment.
14. I’m sure there’s a jinx _________ this dress. Whenever I wear it I have a terrible time.
15. I began to get impatient _________ his continual lack of punctuality.

13.
1. Tom’s absorption _________ his studies means he has no social life.
2. Eating too much fat and sugar is detrimental _________ your health.
3. The amount of water absorbed _________ cotton wool is greater than that _________ paper.
4. The bank wrote to me to advise me _________ their new overdraft facilities.
5. If you need advice _________ exam techniques, any of our trained staff will help you.
6. He cared _________ the environment and gave an inspiring speech _________ the issue.
7. At the Chinese restaurant we started _________ spare ribs, then had chicken soup and coconut ice
cream to finish.
8. The doctor advised us _________ travelling to Egypt without having the proper inoculations first.

14.
For questions 1-12 read the text below and think of the word which best fits each gap. Use only
one word in each gap. In this exercise, each missing word is a proposition. There is an example
at the beginning (0).
GIFT OF THE GAB
Chatting to babies in a particular way boosts their intelligence and gives them a head start (0) in
life, a new study has found. Speech and language therapist Dr Sally Ward selected 140 nine-month-old
children from Manchester. She then gave 70 of the parents detailed advice (1) _________ the best way
to communicate (2) _________ their child and left the other 70 without guidance. The “communicating”
parents were told to spend at least 30 minutes every day talking to their child, (3) _________ any
background noise, about subjects which their infant might take an interest (4) _________. More than six
years later, and after regular checks had been kept (5) _________ their progress, the children had IQ
tests. Those in the talking group were, (6) _________ average, a year and three months ahead (7)
_________ the other group. Nine children had IQs in the gifted category, whereas none in the
non-talking group was as bright.
In a separate study at the American Academy of Paediatrics, experts have warned (8)
_________ the dangers of children under the age of two watching television. Research has shown that
exposure to television is responsible (9) _________ anything from delayed speech to Attention Deficit
Hyperactivity Disorder. The problem (10) _________ television is that it confuses infants, who block out
the background noise coming from it. They consequently learn to ignore all noise, and this includes
speech. Paediatric and language specialists also disapprove (11) _________ radio, which has much the
same effect (12) _________ a child’s language development.