Intermediate prepositions. 45 questions on prepositions of movement, prepositional phrases, and tricky time/place contrasts.
What this test covers
- Prepositions of Movement
- Prepositional Phrases
- Time & Place Contrasts
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.
-
Q1She walked ___ the room without knocking.
Answer: C. into
We use into to show movement from the outside to the inside of an enclosed space, like a room. The verb 'walked' provides the context of movement. 'On' refers to a surface, and 'inside to' is not a standard English prepositional phrase.
-
Q2He jumped ___ the swimming pool and swam two lengths.
Answer: C. into
Into is the correct preposition for entering a volume of water or a three-dimensional space. 'Onto' would imply landing on the surface of the water without going under, while 'at' and 'to' do not capture the action of entering the pool.
-
Q3The cat climbed ___ the roof and sat there for hours.
Answer: D. onto
Onto is used to show movement to a position on a surface (the roof). 'Into' would suggest the cat went inside the roof structure itself. While 'to' is possible, 'onto' specifically describes the destination as being on top of the surface.
-
Q4They drove ___ the narrow tunnel and emerged on the other side.
Answer: C. through
We use through when moving from one side to the other within an enclosed or three-dimensional space, such as a tunnel, a forest, or a tube. 'Across' is used for flat surfaces, and 'past' would mean they went by the tunnel without entering it.
-
Q5She walked ___ the bridge to reach the other bank.
Answer: C. across
Across means moving from one side to the other on a surface or a bridge. 'Through' would imply moving inside the bridge's structure, while 'under' would mean she stayed at the river level and didn't use the bridge to cross.
-
Q6They strolled ___ the river bank, enjoying the evening breeze.
Answer: A. along
Along indicates movement following a line or the length of something, such as a path or a river bank. 'Across' would mean they crossed from one side of the bank to the other, which doesn't fit the context of a 'stroll' next to the water.
-
Q7He jogged ___ the park, taking the footpath from the north gate to the south gate, every morning before work.
Answer: A. through
Through indicates movement that enters an area and exits at the other side, consistent with entering at the north gate and leaving at the south gate. 'Past' and 'by' both describe movement alongside or near the park without entering it. 'Across of' is grammatically incorrect.
-
Q8She climbed ___ the stairs slowly because of her injury.
Answer: B. up
Up indicates movement toward a higher level or position. While you move 'onto' a single step, you move 'up' a whole staircase. 'Through' and 'along' do not describe vertical movement on stairs.
-
Q9He ran ___ the hill and arrived exhausted at the bottom.
Answer: B. down
The context clue 'at the bottom' confirms the direction was descending, making down the correct choice. 'Under' and 'off' do not logically fit the action of descending a hill to reach the base.
-
Q10She got ___ the car as soon as it stopped.
Answer: B. out of
We use out of to describe exiting enclosed vehicles like cars, taxis, or vans. For larger public transport where you can stand up (buses, trains, planes), we use 'off'.
-
Q11She walked ___ the door, closing it firmly behind her.
Answer: B. through
Through is the standard preposition for passing from one side of an opening, such as a door or window, to the other. 'Past' would mean she walked by the door without entering or exiting.
-
Q12The dog ran ___ the open gate and into the street.
Answer: C. through
A gate is an opening, and movement passing from one side to the other is described using through. 'Across' refers to surfaces (like the street mentioned later), and 'off' usually implies moving away from a surface.
-
Q13The café is located ___ the corner of High Street.
Answer: C. on
When describing the location of a building situated at an intersection, the standard phrase is on the corner. 'In the corner' refers to a position inside an enclosed space such as a room. 'Above' and 'under' describe vertical positions and do not apply to a street-level building location.
-
Q14She is waiting ___ the corner for the bus to arrive.
Answer: D. at
We use at the corner to refer to a specific point in space where someone is located or waiting. 'In' (as in 'in the corner') refers to a position inside an enclosed space such as a room, not an outdoor street corner. 'Onto' implies movement upward onto a surface, and 'from' indicates a starting point of movement rather than a current waiting location.
-
Q15She stood ___ the end of the queue and waited patiently.
Answer: D. at
At the end (of something) refers to a specific physical point or terminal position. 'In the end' is an idiom meaning 'finally,' which does not fit a physical location like a queue.
-
Q16Please keep working ___ Friday — we need it before the weekend.
Answer: D. until
Until (or 'till') describes a continuous action or state that lasts up to a specific point in time. Because 'working' is a continuous process, 'until' is required. 'To' is rarely used for time deadlines in this context.
-
Q17The report must be on my desk ___ Friday without fail.
Answer: D. by
By indicates a deadline, meaning 'no later than.' It specifies the latest possible moment for the report to arrive. Unlike 'until,' it does not imply the action is continuous throughout the week.
-
Q18She has been feeling unwell ___ the last few days.
Answer: A. for
In the Present Perfect tense, we use for to denote a duration or period of time (e.g., three days, five years). 'Since' would require a specific starting point in time, like 'Monday' or 'last week'.
-
Q19He hasn't eaten anything ___ this morning.
Answer: B. since
Since marks the specific starting point in time when an action or state began. Because 'this morning' is a specific time rather than a length of time, 'for' cannot be used.
-
Q20___ the end, they decided to take the longer route.
Answer: C. In
In the end is an idiomatic phrase meaning 'finally' or 'after considering everything.' This differs from 'at the end,' which must be followed by 'of' to specify a physical or temporal point (e.g., 'at the end of the movie').
-
Q21We have a meeting ___ noon ___ Monday.
Answer: C. at / on
We use at for specific clock times (at 3:00, at noon, at midnight) and on for days of the week (on Monday) and specific dates.
-
Q22The hikers walked ___ the forest to find the hidden waterfall.
Answer: D. through
Through is used for movement within a three-dimensional enclosed space where you move from one side to the other — here, entering and travelling within the forest to locate the waterfall. 'Across' implies a flat, open surface. 'Along' describes movement parallel to a boundary, not inside it. 'Around' means going along the outside perimeter of the forest, which would not lead to a hidden waterfall inside it.
-
Q23He is very fond ___ classical music.
Answer: A. of
Fond of is a fixed adjective-preposition phrase. In English, certain adjectives are always followed by specific prepositions; using 'with' or 'for' after 'fond' is a common learner error.
-
Q24The painting is hanging ___ the fireplace.
Answer: C. above
Above indicates that an object is at a higher level than another without touching it. If the painting were resting directly on the mantelpiece, we would use 'on'.
-
Q25The exhibition opens ___ September 15th.
Answer: D. on
We use on for specific dates (September 15th) and days of the week. We use 'in' for months (in September) or years (in 2023) when the specific day is not mentioned.
-
Q26The family stayed ___ the seaside cottage ___ the whole summer.
Answer: B. at / for
We use at to refer to a specific building or place of stay as a point. For is used to show the duration of the stay ('the whole summer'). 'Since' cannot be used here because it requires a starting point, not a duration.
-
Q27He was born ___ London but grew up ___ a small town.
Answer: C. in / in
We use in for cities, towns, countries, and large geographical areas. 'At' is generally used for specific functional locations, like 'at the station' or 'at the library'.
-
Q28She left her bag ___ the seat.
Answer: C. on
On is the correct preposition for surfaces. Since a seat is a surface you sit on, 'on' is the natural choice for a bag left resting on it. 'In' is only used for very deep armchairs or sofas that enclose the person. 'Above' implies the bag is suspended over the seat rather than resting on it. 'At' is too vague to describe the specific physical placement of an object on a seat.
-
Q29They met ___ the airport before boarding their flight.
Answer: A. at
We use at for locations when we view them as a functional point or a meeting place (at the cinema, at the airport, at work). 'In' would emphasize being inside the physical building, but 'at' is more standard for meeting points.
-
Q30He arrived ___ the hotel after a long journey.
Answer: C. at
We use arrive at for specific buildings and destinations (hotel, station, airport). We use 'arrive in' for cities and countries. Note that 'arrive' is never followed by 'to'.
-
Q31She cancelled the trip ___ her illness.
Answer: A. due to
Due to is a multi-word preposition meaning 'because of' and is followed by a noun phrase ('her illness'). 'Because' must be followed by a full clause (subject + verb), and 'owing' requires 'to'.
-
Q32___ the heavy traffic, we arrived an hour late.
Answer: D. Because of
Because of is a prepositional phrase followed by a noun phrase ('the heavy traffic'). 'Due' and 'owing' both require the word 'to' to function correctly in this context.
-
Q33He succeeded ___ all the difficulties he faced.
Answer: B. in spite of
In spite of is a three-word preposition used to show contrast; it is followed by a noun phrase. 'Despite' means the same thing but never takes 'of.' 'Although' and 'even though' must be followed by a subject and a verb.
-
Q34The children played outside ___ the rain.
Answer: B. despite
Despite is a preposition followed directly by a noun phrase ('the rain'). 'In spite' is missing the mandatory 'of.' 'Although' and 'even though' are conjunctions that require a full clause (e.g., 'although it was raining').
-
Q35The shop is ___ the post office.
Answer: C. next to
Next to is a common multi-word preposition meaning adjacent to or beside. 'Alongside' and 'beside' are also correct, but they do not use the preposition 'of.' Therefore, 'alongside of' and 'beside of' are grammatically incorrect.
-
Q36She sat ___ her mother during the ceremony.
Answer: C. in front of
In front of is a three-word preposition indicating physical position. 'Beside of' is incorrect because 'beside' does not take 'of.' 'Forward of' is not used for seating positions in this context.
-
Q37He was chosen as a representative ___ the other employees.
Answer: B. on behalf of
On behalf of means 'as the representative of' or 'in the interest of.' 'Instead of' would imply he was a replacement for the other employees, which does not fit the context of being their representative.
-
Q38___ the meeting, everyone agreed to the new schedule.
Answer: B. At the end of
At the end of is used when followed by a specific noun (the meeting) to show a point in time. 'In the end' is an adverbial phrase meaning 'finally' and is usually used alone without 'of'.
-
Q39The path winds ___ the river for several miles.
Answer: C. along
Along indicates movement or a position that follows the line or length of something, such as a river or road. 'Through' would imply the path is actually inside the water.
-
Q40She spoke quietly so as not to be heard ___ the other room.
Answer: A. in
In specifies the location where the people who might hear her are situated. We use 'in' for rooms and enclosed spaces. 'Through' could describe the sound passing through a wall, but 'in' correctly identifies the location of the listeners.
-
Q41He is fluent ___ three languages.
Answer: B. in
We use the preposition in after the adjective fluent when referring to languages. This is a fixed pairing that you should memorize.
-
Q42He is interested ___ history.
Answer: B. in
Interested in is a standard pair. Using other prepositions like 'at,' 'with,' or 'on' after 'interested' is a common error; 'in' is the only correct choice here.
-
Q43The letter was addressed ___ the wrong person.
Answer: C. to
The verb address (when sending mail or directing speech) is followed by the preposition to. While 'for' indicates the intended beneficiary, 'addressed to' is the standard way to describe the destination written on a letter.
-
Q44She apologised ___ being late to the meeting.
Answer: D. for
We use apologise for followed by a reason (a noun or -ing form). If we mention the person receiving the apology, we use 'to' (e.g., 'apologise to the boss for being late').
-
Q45He insisted ___ paying for the entire dinner.
Answer: B. on
Insist on is a fixed pair. Even though you might feel 'about' or 'for' makes sense, the word 'insist' always requires 'on' before a noun or an -ing word.
Done? Submit to get your score.
Answer at least one question to submit. Questions you leave out count as skipped.