Advanced prepositions. 45 questions on dependent prepositions, verb/adjective/noun collocations, and idiomatic prepositional use.
What this test covers
- Verb + Preposition Collocations
- Adjective + Preposition Collocations
- Noun + Preposition Collocations
Answer the 45 questions below. Each answer is checked straight away, with an explanation. Press Submit at the end to get your score and save it to your dashboard. Answers are not kept if you leave before submitting.
All 45 questions with answers
Pick an answer for each question to see if you are right, with the explanation. Submit when you are done; you can submit before answering them all.
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Q1The outcome of the event will largely depend ___ the weather conditions.
Answer: C. on
The verb 'depend' is a prepositional verb that requires 'on' to link it to the condition or source of reliance. 'From' is a frequent error influenced by translations from other languages; in English, 'depend from' is only used for physical suspension (like a lantern hanging from a ceiling). 'About' and 'of' do not satisfy the idiomatic requirements of the verb in this context.
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Q2The final decision was based ___ the data collected during the trial.
Answer: D. on
The participial adjective 'based'—a verb form acting as a descriptor—collocates with 'on' (or the more formal 'upon') when establishing a foundation for an argument or decision. 'In' is used for physical locations (e.g., 'based in London'). 'Of' and 'at' are incorrect and cannot be used to link 'based' to its evidence or source data.
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Q3The committee members objected ___ the proposed changes to the policy.
Answer: A. to
The verb 'object' requires the preposition 'to' to introduce the thing being opposed. In this structure, 'to' is a preposition rather than an infinitive marker, which is why it is followed by a noun or a gerund (e.g., 'objecting to moving'). 'Against' is a common mistake because students think of 'fighting against' something, but 'object' specifically requires 'to'.
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Q4She has always struggled ___ self-confidence in public situations.
Answer: B. with
When 'struggle' refers to an internal psychological or personal difficulty, it collocates with 'with'. 'Against' implies a fight against an external enemy or physical force. 'From' is incorrect because the word does not denote a source or origin here, and 'about' is too vague for this specific idiomatic use regarding personal attributes.
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Q5The new drug resulted ___ a significant reduction in side effects.
Answer: A. in
The prepositional verb 'result in' introduces the consequence or outcome. Conversely, 'result from' would indicate the cause (e.g., 'the reduction resulted from the drug'). 'Into' is a directional preposition inappropriate for abstract causation, and 'with' fails to establish the necessary causative link between the drug and the outcome.
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Q6He apologised ___ the inconvenience caused to his colleagues.
Answer: A. for
The verb 'apologise' follows a specific pattern: 'apologise (to someone) for (something)'. Here, 'for' introduces the reason for the apology. 'Over' is occasionally used in informal speech to describe the subject of a dispute, but 'for' is the standard choice for the direct cause of the apology. 'Of' and 'with' are grammatically incorrect here.
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Q7She persisted ___ her efforts despite several setbacks.
Answer: C. in
The verb 'persist' is followed by the preposition 'in' to describe continuing a course of action despite difficulties. While 'at' is sometimes used for specific physical tasks, 'in' is the standard choice for abstract efforts or beliefs. 'On' and 'by' are not idiomatic pairings for this verb and do not satisfy the verb's requirements.
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Q8The charity relies ___ donations from the public to fund its work.
Answer: A. on
The verb 'rely' requires the preposition 'on' (or the formal 'upon') to indicate the source of support. 'From' is a frequent mistake because learners think of where the donations come from, but the verb 'rely' must point to the thing being trusted. 'With' and 'at' are not used to express dependency after this verb.
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Q9The professor referred ___ several academic papers during the lecture.
Answer: B. to
The verb 'refer' requires the preposition 'to' to introduce a citation or mention. 'Towards' implies physical direction, which is inappropriate for academic referencing. While you might 'speak about' a topic, you must 'refer to' it. 'At' is used for physical looking (e.g., 'look at'), not for mentioning information sources.
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Q10Many patients suffer ___ anxiety and depression following the diagnosis.
Answer: B. from
When discussing illnesses or chronic conditions, 'suffer from' is the standard idiomatic construction. 'With' is sometimes used in clinical contexts to describe living with a condition, but 'from' is the precise choice for experiencing the negative effects of an ailment. 'Of' is a common error based on direct translations from other languages.
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Q11She has contributed greatly ___ the success of the organisation.
Answer: B. to
The verb 'contribute' is followed by the preposition 'to' to mark the goal or the recipient of the help. 'For' is incorrect because it implies a beneficiary in a way that 'contribute' does not support. 'In' and 'at' fail to convey the necessary sense of movement or progression toward a successful outcome.
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Q12The new law complies ___ international human rights standards.
Answer: D. with
The verb 'comply' strictly collocates with 'with' to mean following rules or standards. This is a formal requirement. 'To' is a common mistake because students confuse it with 'adhere to' or 'conform to', which have similar meanings but different prepositional frames. 'By' and 'about' are grammatically incorrect in this context.
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Q13He deals ___ complex financial disputes on a daily basis.
Answer: B. with
The phrasal verb 'deal with' means to handle or manage a situation. 'In' is a plausible distractor, but 'deal in' refers specifically to the trade of goods or commodities (e.g., 'he deals in diamonds'). 'From' and 'about' are not used with 'deal' to describe managing a problem or a task.
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Q14The report focuses ___ the economic impact of the new policy.
Answer: C. on
The verb 'focus' is a prepositional verb requiring 'on' to identify the center of attention. 'At' is used for physical targeting but not for topical concentration. While one might 'write about' a topic, one must 'focus on' it. 'In' and 'about' are incorrect and cannot be used to introduce the subject of concentration.
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Q15She coped well ___ the enormous pressure she was under.
Answer: A. with
The verb 'cope' requires the preposition 'with' to introduce the difficulty being managed. 'Under' is a strong distractor because the noun 'pressure' itself often uses 'under' (e.g., 'she was under pressure'). However, the verb 'cope' dictates the preposition choice, and it always takes 'with'. 'From' and 'against' are not idiomatic.
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Q16She was fully aware ___ the risks involved before making her decision.
Answer: D. of
The adjective 'aware' is followed by 'of' in a fixed collocation (a pair of words that naturally go together). While 'about' is sometimes heard in informal speech, 'of' is the required choice in formal and academic English. 'On' and 'with' are incorrect and cannot be used to describe having knowledge of something.
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Q17He is responsible ___ managing the company's overseas accounts.
Answer: B. for
The adjective 'responsible' takes 'for' to describe a duty or task in one's charge. 'Of' is a frequent mistake because learners think of the noun form ('the responsibility of'). However, when used as a descriptor after a verb like 'is', 'responsible' requires 'for'. 'With' and 'about' are not used to define accountability.
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Q18She is genuinely interested ___ pursuing a career in environmental law.
Answer: D. in
The participial adjective 'interested' requires 'in' to introduce a field of interest or a hobby. 'About' is a very frequent error for learners. While 'with' and 'for' are valid prepositions in English, they are never used to link 'interested' to the subject that a person finds fascinating.
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Q19The new system is quite different ___ the one we used before.
Answer: C. from
In formal standard English, 'different from' is the most widely accepted construction. Although 'different to' is common in British English and 'different than' is used in American English, 'from' is the safest choice for formal writing. 'Of', 'at', and 'with' are grammatically incorrect when comparing two items.
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Q20He is entirely capable ___ handling this project without supervision.
Answer: B. of
The adjective 'capable' is followed by the preposition 'of'. This is a fixed collocation. Learners often confuse this with the adjective 'able', which uses an infinitive (e.g., 'able to handle'). 'At', 'with', and 'for' are incorrect and cannot be used to describe a person's potential or ability.
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Q21The team was very satisfied ___ the results of the annual audit.
Answer: B. with
The adjective 'satisfied' collocates with 'with' to indicate the source of contentment. While you might be 'happy about' or 'surprised at' something, 'satisfied' specifically requires 'with' to show that something has met your expectations or standards. 'Of' and 'about' are not the standard choices here.
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Q22She is deeply committed ___ improving educational outcomes in the region.
Answer: D. to
The adjective 'committed' is followed by the preposition 'to'. It is vital to remember that 'to' here is a preposition, not part of an infinitive verb; this is why it is followed by a gerund ('improving') or a noun. 'For', 'about', and 'with' are incorrect and do not convey the sense of dedicated loyalty.
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Q23The region is famous ___ its production of fine wines.
Answer: C. for
The adjective 'famous' collocates with 'for' to specify the reason for someone's or something's reputation. 'Of' would be used in the noun phrase 'the fame of', but not with the adjective itself. 'With' and 'about' are incorrect and cannot be used to explain why a person or place is well-known.
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Q24He is very similar ___ his father in both appearance and temperament.
Answer: A. to
The adjective 'similar' requires the preposition 'to' to link the entities being compared. 'With' is a common mistake because it is used with the verb 'compare'. 'As' is only used with 'the same' (e.g., 'the same as'). 'From' is used with 'different', not 'similar'.
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Q25She seemed quite nervous ___ the prospect of speaking in public.
Answer: C. about
The adjective 'nervous' usually takes 'about' when referring to a specific future event or possibility. While 'nervous of' is sometimes used to mean 'afraid of' (e.g., 'nervous of heights'), 'about' is the standard choice for anxiety regarding an upcoming situation. 'With' and 'at' are not used to describe this type of worry.
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Q26The company is heavily reliant ___ government subsidies for its operations.
Answer: A. on
Mirroring the verb 'rely', the adjective 'reliant' requires the preposition 'on'. 'From' is an error influenced by translations from other languages, and 'against' or 'with' do not express the relationship of dependency required by this adjective.
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Q27He was very disappointed ___ the outcome of the negotiation.
Answer: D. with
The adjective 'disappointed' is followed by 'with' (or 'at') when referring to the result of a situation. 'For' is used to express sympathy toward another person (e.g., 'I feel disappointed for you'). 'Of' and 'from' are not standard collocations for this adjective and are never used to describe a lack of satisfaction.
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Q28The proposal is consistent ___ the findings of the previous research.
Answer: B. with
The adjective 'consistent' requires the preposition 'with' to show that two ideas or sets of data agree. While you can be 'consistent in' a behavior (meaning you do it regularly), comparing one thing to another requires 'with'. 'To' and 'of' are grammatically incorrect in this context.
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Q29She is very good ___ dealing with difficult customers.
Answer: C. at
When 'good' describes a skill or proficiency, it is followed by the preposition 'at'. 'In' is often used for broad academic subjects (e.g., 'good in history'), but for specific actions or gerunds like 'dealing', 'at' is the standard choice. 'With' describes being comfortable around people (e.g., 'good with kids') but does not denote technical skill.
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Q30He is devoted ___ ensuring that all team members feel included.
Answer: D. to
The adjective 'devoted' takes the preposition 'to'. Like 'committed to', this 'to' is a preposition, which is why it is followed by a gerund ('ensuring') or a noun. 'About', 'for', and 'with' are incorrect because they cannot express the strong sense of dedication that 'devoted' implies.
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Q31There is no simple solution ___ this complex economic problem.
Answer: A. to
The noun 'solution' requires the preposition 'to'. This is a standard noun-preposition pairing. 'Of' is a common mistake because it seems logical to describe 'the solution of the problem', but in English, we always find a 'solution to' a challenge. 'About' and 'at' are not used to connect a solution to its problem.
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Q32The main reason ___ the delay was a technical fault in the system.
Answer: C. for
The noun 'reason' is followed by 'for' when explaining a cause or justification for an event. 'Of' is rarely used except in very specific philosophical phrases. 'For' is the standard preposition used to link a justification to an action or outcome. 'With' and 'about' do not fit the meaning of causation here.
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Q33There has been a significant increase ___ the number of online applications.
Answer: A. in
When 'increase' is a noun describing a rise in a certain category or quantity, it is followed by 'in'. 'Of' is used only when specifying the exact numerical amount of the rise (e.g., 'an increase of 20%'). 'With' and 'to' are incorrect and cannot be used to identify the area where the growth is occurring.
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Q34There appears to be a serious lack ___ clear communication within the team.
Answer: B. of
The noun 'lack' requires the preposition 'of' to introduce the thing that is missing. Note the grammatical distinction: the verb 'lack' is transitive and takes no preposition (e.g., 'they lack communication'), but the noun form 'lack' must be followed by 'of'. 'In', 'about', and 'with' are non-standard.
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Q35The new legislation will have a major effect ___ small businesses.
Answer: A. on
The noun 'effect' (meaning influence) collocates with 'on' to indicate the target of that influence. This follows the same pattern as 'impact on'. 'In', 'with', and 'to' are incorrect. Note that the verb 'affect' is transitive and takes no preposition (e.g., 'it affected small businesses').
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Q36His attitude ___ the new regulations surprised his colleagues.
Answer: B. towards
The noun 'attitude' is usually followed by 'towards' (or 'to') to describe a person's feelings or stance regarding a topic. While 'on' is sometimes used for a specific opinion on an issue, 'towards' is the standard preposition for a general disposition. 'At' and 'with' are not used to link 'attitude' to its subject.
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Q37The relationship ___ the two departments has improved significantly.
Answer: C. between
When describing a connection between two specific, distinct entities, 'between' is the correct preposition. 'Among' is used when referring to a group of three or more where the individuals are not specifically singled out. 'At' and 'of' are grammatically incorrect for establishing a relationship link in this way.
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Q38Consumer demand ___ electric vehicles has grown rapidly this decade.
Answer: B. for
The noun 'demand' collocates with 'for' when referring to the desire of consumers to buy a product. 'Of' is used to identify who is making the demand (e.g., 'the demand of the public'), whereas 'for' identifies the thing being requested. 'With' and 'in' are not idiomatic in this context.
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Q39She made an attempt ___ explaining the procedure, but it was unclear.
Answer: C. at
The noun 'attempt' can be followed by an infinitive ('an attempt to explain') or the preposition 'at' plus a gerund (e.g., 'an attempt at explaining'). Since the sentence uses the gerund '-ing' form, 'at' is the correct choice. 'Of' and 'for' are not used with the gerund in this structure.
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Q40His dedication ___ the cause earned him widespread respect.
Answer: A. to
The noun 'dedication' requires the preposition 'to' to link the commitment to its goal or cause. 'For', 'in', and 'at' are not standard collocations and do not correctly express the idea of giving one's time and energy to a purpose. This mirrors the pattern of the adjective 'dedicated to'.
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Q41There has been a sharp decline ___ revenue over the past two quarters.
Answer: A. in
Similar to 'increase', the noun 'decline' takes the preposition 'in' to identify the specific area or category where a decrease is occurring. 'Of' is only used to specify the numerical amount of the drop (e.g., 'a decline of 10%'). 'About' and 'with' are incorrect.
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Q42She has a real talent ___ languages and speaks four fluently.
Answer: C. for
The noun 'talent' collocates with 'for' to describe a natural ability. Although we say someone is 'good at' languages (using an adjective), the noun form 'talent' requires 'for'. 'In' and 'with' are less precise and are not the standard idiomatic choices for describing aptitude.
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Q43The research shows a strong connection ___ diet and mental health.
Answer: B. between
The noun 'connection' requires 'between' when establishing a link between two specific variables or entities. 'Among' is used for larger, less distinct groups. 'At' and 'of' are grammatically incorrect for describing a logical or causal link between two variables.
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Q44The new policy has a direct impact ___ the company's bottom line.
Answer: A. on
As a noun, 'impact' requires the preposition 'on' (or 'upon' in formal writing) to indicate the target of the influence. 'About', 'at', and 'with' do not satisfy the requirements of this collocation. Note that the verb 'impact' is usually transitive and takes no preposition.
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Q45She has a clear understanding ___ the technical requirements of the role.
Answer: B. of
The noun 'understanding' takes 'of' to specify the subject or field of knowledge being discussed. While 'about' is sometimes heard in informal conversation, 'of' is the standard preposition for formal and technical contexts. 'With' and 'in' are incorrect and do not properly link comprehension to the subject.
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