How the task looks
You get a short text with 5 gaps and a list of 7 prepositions or adverbs (for example along, through, into, on, off, across, at). Each word is used once, and two words are extra.
Fill in the gaps with the prepositions/adverbs given below (two of them are odd).
The words in the list are short and look similar, so guessing by translation does not work well. A preposition depends on the words around it: the verb before it (depend on), the noun after it (on Monday), the direction of movement (walk across the bridge), or a fixed phrase (by chance).
Step-by-step method
- Read the whole text to understand the situation: where people are, where they move, when things happen.
- For each gap, read the words on both sides — at least the verb before and the noun after.
- Decide the type of gap: time, place, movement, a phrasal verb, a word that always takes a certain preposition, or a fixed phrase?
- Fill the certain gaps first — fixed phrases and dependent prepositions (interested in, on foot). Cross out each used word.
- For movement and place, picture the situation: is there a surface, a line, an inside, a boundary?
- Check the two remaining words in every gap once more.
Time: at, on, in
| Preposition | Used with | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| at | clock times, points of the day, holidays (whole period), age | at 7 o’clock, at noon, at night, at the weekend (BrE), at Christmas, at the age of ten |
| on | days, dates, a particular day’s part | on Monday, on 12 May, on my birthday, on Monday morning, on a cold evening |
| in | months, years, seasons, centuries, parts of the day, periods | in July, in 2027, in winter, in the 19th century, in the morning, in the past |
| no preposition | before this, next, last, every, each, today, tomorrow, yesterday | next week, last year, every day, this morning, tomorrow evening |
✗ on next Monday → ✓ next Monday. ✗ in this morning → ✓ this morning.
On time = exactly at the planned time (The train arrived on time). In time = early enough (We arrived in time to see the start).
In + period in the future = after that time: I’ll be back in ten minutes.
Duration and deadlines: for, since, during, by, until, within
| Word | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| for | how long (a period) | for two hours, for ten years |
| since | from a starting point until now | since 2015, since Monday, since I was a child |
| during | at some time within an event or period (+ noun) | during the lesson, during the war |
| while | at the same time as (+ clause) | while I was waiting |
| by | not later than a deadline | Hand in the essay by Friday. |
| until / till | continuing up to a moment | We waited until midnight. |
| within | before the end of a period | Reply within three days. |
| ago | back from now (after the period) | two years ago |
| before / after | earlier / later than | before lunch, after the match |
By or until? By is a deadline for one action: Finish it by 5 p.m. Until is a state or action that continues up to that time: I’ll be in the office until 5 p.m.
✗ during I was sleeping → ✓ while I was sleeping / during my sleep.
Place: at, in, on
| Preposition | Idea | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| at | a point, a place of activity, an address | at the bus stop, at the door, at school, at work, at home, at a concert, at 15 King Street |
| in | inside an area or space | in the room, in a box, in Yerevan, in Armenia, in the street (BrE), in a car, in a photo, in the sky |
| on | on a surface or a line | on the table, on the wall, on the floor, on the screen, on page 5, on the river, on a bus / train / plane, on the left |
in a car / in a taxi but on a bus / on a train / on a plane / on a bike (you can stand or walk in it).
Other place prepositions: above / below (higher / lower), over / under (directly above / below, or covering), next to, beside, near, by (= next to), between (two), among (many), in front of / behind, opposite (facing), inside / outside, around.
Movement and direction
| Word | Movement | Example |
|---|---|---|
| to | towards a destination (and reaching it) | go to school, fly to Paris |
| towards | in the direction of (maybe not reaching) | walk towards the river |
| into / out of | crossing a boundary in / out | come into the room, jump out of the window |
| onto / off | onto a surface / away from a surface | jump onto the stage, fall off the horse |
| across | from one side to the other (a flat area or a line) | walk across the street, swim across the river |
| through | inside something, from one end to the other | go through the forest, through the tunnel |
| along | following the length of something | walk along the river / the beach |
| over | above and to the other side | jump over the fence |
| past | going by something | walk past the bank |
| up / down | to a higher / lower place | climb up the hill, run down the stairs |
| around / round | in a circle, in different places | walk around the city |
Across or through? Across a surface or a line (a road, a river, a field). Through a space with things around you (a forest, a crowd, a tunnel, a window).
Along or across? Along the river = beside it, following it. Across the river = to the other bank.
Adverbs and phrasal verbs
Some words in the list are not prepositions before a noun but adverbs (particles) that complete a verb. They often come at the end of a clause:
Don’t stop — go on! (= continue) The road was closed, so we turned back. Come in! Sit down. The plane took off.
| Phrasal verb | Meaning |
|---|---|
| go on, carry on | continue |
| get on / get off | enter / leave a bus, train |
| get across | cross; communicate an idea |
| take off | leave the ground; remove clothes |
| put on / take off | start / stop wearing |
| turn on / turn off | start / stop a machine |
| look after | take care of |
| look for | try to find |
| look up | find information |
| look forward to | wait with pleasure (+ V-ing) |
| give up | stop doing |
| put off | postpone |
| put up with | tolerate |
| run out of | have no more |
| find out | discover |
| set off / set out | start a journey |
| turn up | arrive, appear |
| fall off | drop from something |
Words that always take the same preposition
Adjective + preposition: afraid of, proud of, fond of, full of, tired of, aware of, capable of · good at, bad at, surprised at/by · interested in, rich in · keen on, dependent on · famous for, responsible for, ready for, late for · similar to, married to, kind to, polite to · different from · angry with (someone), angry about (something), pleased with, satisfied with, popular with.
Verb + preposition: depend on, rely on, insist on, concentrate on · belong to, listen to, apologize to, object to · consist of, approve of, think of, dream of · believe in, succeed in, take part in · wait for, look for, pay for, apologize for · agree with, deal with · laugh at, look at, arrive at (a building) / in (a city) · suffer from, protect from, prevent from.
Noun + preposition: reason for, demand for, cause of, example of, increase in, interest in, attitude to, solution to, answer to, invitation to, advantage of.
Verbs without a preposition before the object: discuss a problem (✗ discuss about), enter a room (✗ enter into), reach a place (✗ reach to), marry someone (✗ marry with), answer a question, call someone.
Fixed phrases
| With | Phrases |
|---|---|
| by | by chance, by mistake, by heart, by car / bus / train, by hand, by the way, by profession, by no means |
| on | on foot, on purpose, on time, on holiday, on fire, on the whole, on the other hand, on sale |
| in | in time, in advance, in danger, in love, in general, in fact, in spite of, in public, in a hurry, in pairs |
| at | at least, at last, at first, at once, at times, at risk, at the moment, at the same time |
| out of | out of order, out of date, out of work, out of breath, out of reach |
| without | without doubt, without success, without delay |
| under | under control, under pressure, under construction |
After a preposition: noun, pronoun or V-ing
A preposition is followed by a noun, a pronoun or an -ing form, never by V1 or to + V1:
✓ I’m interested in learning Chinese. ✓ Thank you for helping me. ✓ He left without saying goodbye. ✓ I look forward to meeting you. (here to is a preposition!)
✗ interested in learn, ✗ without to say.
The most common mistakes
| ✗ Wrong | ✓ Correct |
|---|---|
| on next week | next week |
| in Monday | on Monday |
| at 2020 | in 2020 |
| I live here since 2015. | I have lived here since 2015. |
| during I was there | while I was there |
| arrive to the station | arrive at the station |
| discuss about the plan | discuss the plan |
| depend from | depend on |
| interested about | interested in |
| good in maths | good at maths |
| different than (in the exam) | different from |
| by foot | on foot |
| reach to the top | reach the top |
Worked example
Text:
“Last summer we cycled (1) ___ the shore of Lake Sevan for three hours. Then we left our bikes and walked (2) ___ a small forest to an old monastery. We went (3) ___ the church, where it was cool and quiet. (4) ___ the way back, my brother fell (5) ___ his bike, but luckily he was not hurt.”
List: along, through, into, on, off, across, at
(1) cycled ___ the shore — moving beside the shore and following its length → along. Across would mean from one side to the other, but you cannot cross a shore; you cross the lake.
(2) walked ___ a small forest — inside a space with trees all around → through. Across is used for open, flat areas (a field, a square, a road).
(3) went ___ the church — entering a building, crossing its boundary → into. Went at is not possible.
(4) ___ the way back — fixed phrase on the way (while travelling).
(5) fell ___ his bike — dropped from a surface → off.
Extra words: across and at.
Notice how the two extra words were attractive: across looked possible in gaps 1 and 2, and at in gap 3. Only the full picture of the movement shows that they do not fit.
Final checklist
- Time: at (points), on (days, dates), in (months, years, periods), nothing before next / last / this / every?
- Duration: for (a period), since (a starting point), during (+ noun), while (+ clause), by (deadline), until (up to)?
- Place: at (a point), in (inside), on (a surface, a line)?
- Movement: to, into, onto, off, across, through, along, over, past?
- Is it a phrasal verb, a dependent preposition or a fixed phrase?
- After a preposition — noun, pronoun or V-ing?
- Is each word used once, and do the two extra words really fit nowhere?