GRAMMAR - Verbs and prepositions

Part 1
A. Complete the sentences with prepositions form the box.
Some can be used more than once.
of/ for/ on/ in/ to/ with / from

1. He recovered ………………. his illness very quickly.

2. Does anybody object ………………. this idea?
3. Hundreds of people participated ……………………the race.
4. My grandmother used to care ………………… me .
5. They adapted ………………. the weather conditions without
difficulty.
6. We do not approve…………………. people’s violent
demonstrations.
7. As she can’t drive, she depends …………………. her husband.
8. Even if I’m always competing ………………. her, we get on well.
9. The students all benefited …………………. interesting lectures .
10. How did she react …………….. the news?

B. Find the right preposition.

1. Why don’t you apply ……………….. the job?

2. I don’t believe ……………….telling lies.
3. The football match resulted …………….. a draw.
4. She managed to deal ……………… the problem very well.
5. What can you contribute ………………the discussion?

C. Match the verbs in the box with the correct category.

Assist / manage / accept / appreciate / imagine / agree / pretend /
support / struggle / achieve

Verbs followed by noun Verbs followed by infinitive +to

D. For each sentence decide which answer best fits each gap.
1. I don’t know how I …………………… to get here on time!
a. achieved b. struggled c. resulted d.
managed
2. They all laughed when the clown …………………… to be a lion.
a. adapted b. imagined c. believed d. pretended

3. The principal doesn’t ………………… of students shouting in the

corridors.
 a. appreciate b. agree c. approve d. accept
4. As an experienced piano player, she ………………….to the
success.
a. contributes b. supports c. assists d. benefits.
5. I wasn’t really sure whether he …………………. to my idea or not.
a. disapproved b. complained c. objected d.
disliked

E. Match the verbs with the nouns and phrases below.

make / take / put / hold / keep / have
- ………………… into account - ……………………an eye on
- ………………… responsibility - ……………………use of
- ………………… a risk - ……………………your way
- ……………….. advantage of - ……………………your breath
- ……………….. pressure on - …………………an interest
- ………………. a word - …………………charge/ control
- ………………. the most of - …………………the
opportunity
- ………………someone waiting - …………………something
seriously
- ………………. an end to - ………………….an appointment

F. Match the phrasal verbs with the meanings.

1. Catch up with something a. manage not to be caught doing
something wrong
2. Give something away b. find or meet by chance
3. Fall through c. solve
4. Come across stg or someone d. be or look like an older family
member
5. Sort something out e. fail to happen
6. Take after someone f. do what you didn’t have time to do
earlier
7. Live up something g. be as good as hoped
8. Get away with something h. reveal a secret

G. Complete the sentences with the correct form of a phrasal

verb from exercise F.
1. John …………………. his father -he’s never on time!
2. I’m trying to …………………… all my emails before I leave the office.
3. Last year, my plans for summer ………………. because of the bad
weather.
4. Some criminals tried to hack into my account but they didn’t
……………………. it.
5. I ……………………some old family photo albums in a box in the attic.
 6. The concert was wonderful and …………………. all my expectations.
7. Please don’t ………………. our hiding place!
8. There were a lot of problems to ………………… when she took over the
failing company.

H. Match the incomplete phrases with the prepositions.

at / on / for / in / with / by

… behalf of … least …any case …heart

… all costs …doubt …balance …a way
…the sake of …risk …view of …first sight
…average … theory … a daily basis …condition that
…due course …real …the first place …respect to
…need of …far …conclusion …the time

I. Complete the sentences with phrases from exercise H.

1. Thank you for coming, we’ll contact you ……………………. .

2. We need to look after the planet, …………………. everyone’s future.
3. Are you ………………... any help with this project?
4. Some people are very good at reciting poetry ……………….. .
5. I didn’t like the hotel very much, but …………………. it was near the
station.
6. Do you have any questions ……………… your application?
7. It was an amazing experience – I could hardly believe it was
………………!
8. She was chosen to speak at the conference ………………… the whole
team.
9. ………………….. we got to the cinema, the film has already started.
Part 2
A. Complete each sentence with the correct form of the phrasal
verb from the list.
break up / bring up / count on / fall out / get on with / get together /
look up to / take after

1. He ………………. everyone in his family except his older brother.

2. Everyone decided to ……………… to celebrate the coronation.
3. They moved to a big city because they thought it would be easier to
…………… their children.
4. Everyone says I ………………. my father in the way we look and
behave.
5. John ………………… with his girlfriend just after graduating.
6. I’ve known him for twenty years and I know I can always
………………… him.
7. The two friends ……………… last year and haven’t spoken to each
other since.
8. I ……………… to my big brother because he’s achieved so many
amazing things in his life.
9. Do you ……………………… everyone in your family?
10. Who do you ………………… most- your mother or your father?
11. How often do you …………………… with your friends?
12. Which famous people do you think young people
………………………the most?

B. Complete each sentence with the correct form of the phrasal

verb from the list.
get away / keep up with / make out / put off / put up with / set off /
soak up / turn out

1. We decided to ………………….. our trip to the beach until the

weather improved .
2. I could hardly …………………. the road because of the thick fog.
3. I find it hard to ………………… days and days of wet weather.
4. It is hard to ……………………... studies when you have a part- time
work after school.
5. We ‘ll have to …………………… very early to avoid the rush-hour
traffic.
6. It ……………………….. to be a very nice day after a cloudy start.
7. I have been working late all week and I need to ………………… this
weekend.
8. She stayed all the afternoon outside in the garden …………………….
the sun.

C. Complete each sentence with the correct form of the phrasal

verb from the list.

brush up on / come up against / do away with / fit in with / get

through to / stand up to / stay away from

1. The volunteer needed to ………………… her Swahili before joining

the fieldwork project.
2. The use of drones has …………………… the need for rescuers to
risk lives searching treacherous mountain ranges.
3. 3. The decision to make the area into a nature reserve is ideal
because it ……………………… perfectly ……………. the
conservation project.
4. Skiers have been warned to ………………………. for safety
reasons.
5. We need to …………………… the decision makers just how serious
the problem is.
 6. The area manages to ……………………. pressure from ruthless
developers.
7. The campaign organisers have ………………… tremendous
problems and the project has now been set back by several
months.

D. Complete the sentences with the right preposition from the

list.

come across / come between / come down / come into / come

through / come under / come up
1. The family …………………… a large amount of money when their
grandmother passed away.
2. The company has seen some tough times but has always
………………. them.
3. The minister has ………………. pressure to resign after the
budget cuts.
4. An opportunity to sell at this price may never ………………..
again, so make the most of it!
5. I ……………. a pile of old bank statements in the filing cabinet.
6. The business partners vowed nothing would ………………. them
and that the company would survive.
7. When inflation …………………. the economy will recover.