Instructions: Master confusing preposition pairs and advanced usage rules. Click "Show Answer" to check your response.
Section A: Confusing Pairs (12 Questions)
1. She has lived here _____ 2015. (since/for/from)
Answer: since (point in time with present perfect)
2. Divide the chocolate _____ the three children. (between/among/in)
Answer: among (three or more recipients)
3. Sit _____ me during the lecture. (beside/besides/next)
Answer: beside (next to, physical position)
4. _____ English, she speaks French. (Beside/Besides/Next to)
Answer: Besides (in addition to)
5. Please submit the report _____ Friday. (until/by/on)
Answer: by (deadline - before Friday ends)
6. Wait _____ Friday for the results. (until/by/on)
Answer: until (continuing up to Friday)
7. She walked _____ the room. (in/into/inside)
Answer: into (movement - entering)
8. She is _____ the room. (in/into/inside)
Answer: in (position - already there)
9. Walk _____ the bridge to cross. (across/through/over)
Answer: across (on surface of bridge)
10. Walk _____ the tunnel. (across/through/over)
Answer: through (inside tunnel)
11. The picture is _____ the sofa. (above/over/on)
Answer: above (static higher position)
12. Put a cloth _____ the table. (above/over/on)
Answer: over (covering the table)
Section B: Gerunds After Prepositions (9 Questions)
13. I look forward _____ you at the party. (to meet/to meeting/meeting)
Answer: to meeting ("to" is preposition here, needs gerund)
14. I'm thinking about _____ jobs. (change/changing/to change)
Answer: changing (about + gerund)
15. She apologized for _____ late. (be/being/to be)
Answer: being (for + gerund)
16. I'm tired of _____. (wait/waiting/to wait)
Answer: waiting (of + gerund)
17. He's afraid of _____. (fly/flying/to fly)
Answer: flying (of + gerund)
18. There's no point in _____. (argue/arguing/to argue)
Answer: arguing (in + gerund)
19. She objected to _____ extra. (pay/paying/to pay)
Answer: paying (to + gerund - preposition)
20. I want _____ to the store. (go/going/to go)
Answer: to go (to + infinitive - not preposition)
21. I'm used to _____ up early. (wake/waking/to wake)
Answer: waking (to + gerund - preposition)
Section C: Formal vs Informal & Idioms (9 Questions)
22. Which is more formal? (To whom are you speaking?/Who are you speaking to?)
Answer: To whom are you speaking? (avoids ending with preposition)
23. Which is formal for "because of"? (due to/because of/owing to) (all/one)
Answer: due to and owing to (both formal)
24. Which is standard/formal English? (different from/different than/different to)
Answer: different from
25. He called me _____ the blue yesterday. (from/out of/in)
Answer: out of (idiom: "out of the blue" = unexpectedly)
26. "On cloud nine" means: (extremely happy/very high/cloudy weather)
Answer: extremely happy (idiom)
27. "By heart" means: (memorized completely/with love/quickly)
Answer: memorized completely (idiom)
28. Which is the correct formal usage? (Between you and I/Between you and me)
Answer: Between you and me (prepositions need object pronouns)
29. Which means "unintentionally"? (by accident/on accident/by mistake) (all/one)
Answer: by accident and by mistake (both correct)
30. "For good" means: (permanently/for goodness/for a good reason)
Answer: permanently (idiom)
