TEST YOUR PREPOSITIONS 15- The tap in the kitchen broke and we weren't able to ........ it ........

1- To get the most....... your plants, keep them ....... a sunny balcony. properly, so our water bill was very high.
A) out of/on B) from/with C) with/in A) give/In B) turn/off C) break/down
D) through/by E) into/above D) put/out E) lock/up

2- The mother wrapped ........ the Christmas presents she bought for 16- The driver did not realise that his lorry was a little too high to
her children and decorated them ........ ribbon. pass ........ the bridge, so it got stuck, holding up all the traffic
A) round/on B) up/with C) to/around ......... .
D) in/along E) over/in A) under/behind B) over/around C) in/through
D) through/in front E) from/across
3- She ......... the moment she heard the bad news, but she was lucky
not to have hit her head badly as she collapsed. 17- Ralph carefully hid his spare key ........ a paving stone ......... his
A) fell apart B) put aside C) came across front door.
D) went through E) passed out A) on top of/by B) into/on C) beneath/near
D) at/around E) for/opposite
4- Ian took Sasha ....... a few times, but they didn't really get ..... .
A) for/by B) with/along C) out/on 18- Every morning during winter, the old lady would scatter
D) in/ahead E) over/across handfuls of breadcrumbs, throwing them all ........ the lawn
......... the hungry birds.
5- To be honest ......... you, I'm not sure what I feel ......... the A) into/with B) under/to C) around/from
situation. D) over/for E) through/in
A) with/about B) about/with C) to/for
D) for/in E) from/on 19- I was ......... my friends ......... line, so I got the last ticket to the
concert.
6- The electric car ran smoothly and was simple to operate. However, A) with/for B) before/in C) for/from
it did not run efficiently ......... speeds of more than 2O miles per D) next to/with E) behind/on
hour and could not travel more than 50 miles ......... having its
batteries recharged. 20- Do you heed any help ......... that box, or can you carry it ........
A) from/for B) for/about C) with/through your own?
D) at/without E) to/from A) about/to B) to/up C) for/by
D) on/from E) with/on
7- Many families now receive their television programmes ........
cable, a sophisticated wire system permitting many television 21- People tend to associate suntanned skin ........ a healthy, outdoor
signals to be transmitted ........ the same time. life; however, it is actually a sign of sun damage ........ the skin.
A) out of/with B) through/at C) about/for A) with/to B) for/with C) from/on
D) from/in E) with/from D} in/for E) to/from

8- In Chad, population densities range ......... 34 per square kilometre 22- Robert was fired from his job for being habitually late. He
in the south ........ fewer than one per square kilometre in the hardly ever arrived ........ work ........ time.
Saharan north. A) at/on B) to/in C) in/for
A) about/in B) for/around C) from/to D) for/around E) with/with
D) up/down E) between/with
23- While the prosecution claimed the young woman was
9- Nearly all stains will be lightened by rinsing immediately ......... kidnapped, the defence said she ........ willingly with her alleged
water ......... about body temperature. However, some stains will captors.
become fixed if the water is hot. A) came on B) turned out C) took off
A) for/in B) to/to C) under/for D) went along E) pulled up
D) in/with E) with/at

1O- The designer may have thought that this purple skirt goes ........ this
pink blouse, but surely, they don't look nice ........ you. 24- ........ a mother, I am concerned ......... what my children do in
A) with/on B) for/to C) about/in their free time.
D) off/with E) out/upon A) Like/for B) For/in C) From/at
D) With/to E) As/about
11- It's hard to imagine the feelings of 19th century Irish immigrants as
they were heading ......... America ........... the Atlantic. 25- I concluded ......... Helen's last letter that she was a little
A) through/to B) over/from C) by/towa uncertain ......... her future.
D) for/across E) in /along A) with/for B) to/in C) from/about
D) at/towards E) for/with
12- After winding ......... the rugged and twisting canyon, the river
eventually poured out ........ the sea. 26- Karate originated in Okinawa many centuries ago, where it was
A) over/upon B) into/with C) from/towards based ......... combat techniques imported ......... China.
D) across/in E) through/into A) to/upon B) with/to C) on/from
D) in/through E) for/across
13- The workers laboured ......... the day, from sunrise to sunset, .........
very small wages. 27- Born to Italian immigrant parents on the Isle of Wight,
A) on/about B) during/along C) throughout/for Anthony Minghella was exposed ......... the world of film .........
D) for/out of E) over/through a young age.
A) in/around B) for/in C) from/since
14- The waves pounded ........ the sand-castle until all trace of it had D) to/at E) with/from
vanished.
A) without B) against C)about 28- His home was next door ........ the local cinema, and he managed
D) out of E) along to gain free admission ......... becoming friends with the
projectionist.
A) to/by B) with/in C) for/through
 D) from/for E) at/from
43- Jerry was washing his hair when the water was cut .......... so he
29- We seem to be proceeding very slowly. ......... it will take us quite a couldn't rinse it properly and had to spend the whole day
long time to complete the preparations for the reception. walking round with conditioner ......... it.
A) All at once B) For the time being C) On average A) out/with B) up/on C) across/to
D) From then on E) At this rate D) off/in E) in/around

30- After an initial rejection, he promised to ........ our suggestion, so he 44- The area is so rich ........ archeological relics that ancient bits of
may be coming on the trip with us. pottery are scattered ....... all over the place.
A) take off B) turn down C) come up with A) for/along B) in/about C) about/on
D) think over E) bring out D) from/with E) with/within

31- We'll have to replace this sofa with a smaller one, because it 45- Many people go to marriage counsellors these days, but they
will......... a lot of space in the living room, leaving very little for would probably do better if they tried to ....... their problems on
the rest of the furniture. their own.
A) do over B) run off C) turn down A) put on B) call off C) set up
D) set out E) take up D) work out E) give in

32- The scandal........ just on the eve of the elections, sweeping away 46- The bad weather certainly did retard our progress, but once it
the candidate's every hope of winning. cleared up, we managed to ........ the time we had lost.
A) came up B) got into C) broke out A) put up with B) go in for C) run out of
D) ran for E) put up D) make up for E) come up with

33- If we wish to acquaint ourselves ......... the roots of "New Age"

philosophy, we should look ....... the biography of Helena
Blavatsky, considered to be the "mother of the New Age". 47- This book is very awkward to read because the footnotes are
A) to/along B) of/around C) with/into ....... the back of the book instead of ....... the bottom of the page.
D) for/up E) in/for A) on/to B) with/up C) up/down
D) to/in E) at/on
34- Will you ......... all the bad apples from the basket, or they will spoil
the good ones? 48- Only one of the answers ........ this question is correct — each of
A) hold up B) put off C) take over the other four is there to serve ........ a distraction.
D) pick out E) bring about A) with/for B) for/to C) of/at
D) about/in E) to/as
35- After being shut....... for years, London's Royal Opera House is now
again open ....... business. 49- People in most jobs are entitled ....... a certain amount of paid
A) up/with B) down/for C) on/at leave ....... the year.
D) in/out of E) out/from A) with/through B) about/of C) along/within
36- With sales continuing ....... the present rate, we can hope ....... the D) to/during E) through/by
best year we have ever had.
A) for/from B) as/within C) with/about 50- The boss was ....... town all last week, but he left us a lot of work
D) to/through E) at/for that we had to get done ....... his return.
A) within/upon B) near/by C) out of/before
37- After the group Beatles, of which he was a member, ......... Paul D) away/during E) from/with
McCartney continued music through his work with Wings and as a
solo artist. 51- Looking ....... the mirror, she was distressed at the wrinkles .......
A) took out B) went through C) came across her eyes she had never noticed before.
D) broke up E)cut down A) into/around B) through/for C) on/above
D) with/along E) about/of
38- John Lennon and his second wife, Yoko Ono, worked together
........ music and promoting world peace ....... Lennon's tragic death 52- In the army, all sense of rebellion is beaten ....... the new recruits
in 1980. ....... basic training.
A) for/when B) with/upon C) on/until A) into/while B) out of/during C) through/until
D) to/before E) in/within D) without/under E) for/into

39- Fish are able to take oxygen ....... water ....... means of their gills. 53- People who have difficulty ........ adapting ....... foreign cultures
A) out of/by B) from/with C) for/through should stay in their own countries.
D) to/into E) through/as A) with/around B) for/with C) over/within
D) of/into E) in/to
40- Most items that we use ....... a daily basis have been machine-made
....... the Industrial Revolution. 54- Leonardo da Vinci's inventions were so advanced ....... his time
A) to/after B) for/before C) as/from that some people have wondered if he might not have been a
D) on/since E) with/when time-traveller ....... the future.
A) for/from B) with/up C) of/for
41- Artists are individuals ......... special talents, who, in most cases, D) by/into E) In/towards
devote significant portions of their lives ......... training and
sharpening their skills. 55- According to the newspaper, investigations are continuing ........
A) for/in B) with/to C) of/with who set fire ........ the cinema.
D) to/on E) from/as A) about/at B) for/with C) with/into
D) under/of E) into/to
42- Our bus was delayed because the police discovered two men
trying to smuggle drugs ......... the border by hiding them ........ bags 56- Many people today are concerned ....... the growing gap .......
of coffee. rich and poor.
A) across/inside B) from/around C) with/for A) with/towards B) of/through C) about/between
D) through/from E) into/within D) from/for E) for/into
57- There has recently been a fall....... the value of the sterling ....... the
dollar.
A) of/with B) for/about C) to/to
D) in/against E) with/of

58- I was pleased to run ....... my ex-girlfriend, but she didn't seem
happy ........ seeing me again.
A) over/for B) into/about C) about/from
D) with/to E) against/with

59- The Prince Islands are located ....... the Sea of Marmara .......
Istanbul's Asian shore.
A) in/off B) with/for C) on/from
D) by/at E) at/to

60- Marge stayed ........ all night trying to understand why her son had
run ........ from home.
A) up/away B) in/out C) at/off
D) during/into E) out/with

TEST Y0UR PREP0SITI0NS

1. A 2. B 3. E 4. C 5. A 6. D 7. B 8. C 9. E 10. A

11. D 12. E 13. C 14. B 15. B 16. A 17. C 18. D 19. B 20. E

21. A 22. A 23. D 24. E 25. C 26. C 27. D 28. A 29. E 30. D

31. E 32. C 33. C 34. D 35. B 36. E 37. D 38. C 39. A 40. D

41. B 42. A 43. D 44. B 45. D 46. D 47. E 48. E 49. D 50. C

51. A 52. B 53. E 54. A 55. E 56. C 57. D 58. B 59. A 60. A