About, at, away (adverb only), by, for, from, in, into, on, out, to, under, up, with, over

Insert a suitable word in the following sentences.

1 He insisted . . . seeing the documents.

2 They succeeded . . . escaping . . . the burning house.

3 I am not interested . . . anything that happened . . . the very remote past.

4 The children are very fond . . . swimming. . . . summer they spend most. . . their time . . . the water.

5 How are you getting ... at school? ~

I'm getting ... all right except . . . English. I'm very bad . . . English; I'll have to work harder . .'. it, and spend more time ... it.

6 Paul goes . . . school . . . you, doesn't he? How's he getting ... ...

his English? or How's his English getting . . . ?~

7 I don't know. We're not. . . the same class. But he gets ... ... the

other students all right. He has heaps . . . friends.

8 There is no point. . . going . . . car if we can't park near the theatre.

9 She made a point. . . coming late so that everyone would look . . . her.

10 It never occurred ... me to ask him . . . proof ... his identity.

11 ... first, driving on the left is confusing, but you'll soon get used . . . it.

12 I've heard such a lot ... him that I'm looking forward . . . seeing him very much.

13 He was so absorbed ... his work that when I came .... he didn't even look . . . (raise his head)

14 I'm sorry . . . Tom. (I pity him.) He has worked . . . Brown and Company . . . ten years and now the firm has been taken ... by Jones Ltd, and they're going to dismiss him.

15 I'm sorry . . . being late . . . Monday. Or I'm sorry . . . Monday.

16 The complete set... books can be ordered . . . £10 . . . Jones and Company. (Jones and Company will send them to you if you write enclosing £10.}

17 I'm waiting . . . my friend. He'll be here ... a moment.

18 I see . . . today's paper that you need a secretary ... a knowledge of French. I should like to apply . . . the post.

19 You can't rely . . . him. He's almost always late . . . appointments.

20 If you do not comply . . . the traffic regulations you will get. . . trouble . . . the police.

21 Wine is good . . . you, but it is expensive . . . England because there is a fairly high tax ... it.

22 ... fairy stories, stepmothers are always unkind . . . their

stepchildren; but my stepmother has always been very good . . . me.

23 He was so infuriated ... the play that he walked . . . (left the theatre) . . . the middle . . . the first act.

24 My au pair girl takes care . . . my little boys (looks . . . them). . . the afternoons. She's very good . . . children. (She can manage them well.)

25 He threw stones ... his attackers, trying to drive them ....

26 I threw the ball . . . Peter, but instead . . . throwing it back . . . me, he ran . . . and hid it.

27 I object. . . being kept waiting. Why can't you be ... time?

28 '. . . accordance . . . the wishes . . . my people,' the president said, 'I am retiring . . . public life.'

29 This regulation doesn't apply . . . you. You are . . . (less than) 18.

30 I'm not exactly keen . . . cooking; but I prefer it... washing up. (Washing up is worse than cooking.)

31 I was so afraid . . . missing the train that I took a taxi. . . the station.

32 What. . . taking the day . . . and spending it... the seaside?

33 I don't object. . . lending you my pen, but wouldn't it be better if you had a pen . . . your own?

34 Don't ask the office . . . information. I will provide you ... all the information you need.

35 I disapprove . . . people who make all sorts . . . promises which they have no intention . . . keeping.

36 I was ... the impression that I had paid you . . . the work you did . . . me.

Ex.112 Use and omission of prepositions

Insert a preposition if necessary. Choose from at, by, for, in, of, on, past, till/until, to, with.

1 He asked ... his father . . . money.

2 They paid ... me ... the books.

3 I thought he would offer . . . Ann the job, but he offered it... me.

4 Keep ... me a place, and keep a place . . . Ann too.

5 They showed ... us photographs . . . their baby.

6 Buying presents . . . children is sometimes very difficult. . . . the end I bought a kite . . . Tom and a torch . . . Ann.

7 Pass the salt. . . your father, Peter, and pass ... me the pepper, please.

8 When you have lunch ... a restaurant, who pays . . . the bill? ~ Oh, each ... us pays . . . what he has had.

9 Paul's a pianist. He sometimes plays ... us ... the evening. Last night he played some Chopin.

10 I think I'll be able to find . . . Ann a job. ~ Could you find a job . . . me, too?

11 He sold the picture ... an American dealer . . . £5,000.

12 He promised ... us a share . . . the profits.

13 He built a very nice house . . . Jack . . . only £50,000.1 wonder what sort. . . house he would build ... me ... £30,000.

14 She is knitting socks . . . refugees. I wish she'd knit... me some socks.

15 Sitting ... the floor isn't exactly comfortable. Throw ... me a cushion, please, Ann.

16 If you are going . . . the Post Office, could you buy ... me a book . . . stamps?

17 If you write ... me a song I'll sing it ... the school concert. I'll get Paul to accompany ... me ... the guitar.

18 Could you lend ... us your lawnmower, please? ~

I'm afraid you'll have to ask . . . someone else to lend . . . you one. We've lent ours . . . Mr Jones and he always keeps it... ages.

19 I thought you'd be late . . . dinner, so I ordered some sandwiches . . . you; they're . . . the bar. I haven't paid . . . them: you can pay ... the barman.

20 I explained . . . him that it was the custom . . . England to wash one's car at the weekend.

21 I described the machine . . . him and asked . . . him if he could make . . . me one like it.

22 She told ... us that she'd been attacked . . . the street. We asked . . . her to describe her attacker and she said he was a tall man ... a limp.

23 He told . . . them to wait. . . him . . . the bridge.

24 I cannot repeat. . . you what she said ... me ... confidence.

25 The headmaster warned ... me to work harder. What did he say . . . you, Jack?

26 He advised . . . the strikers to go back . . . work. They received his advice . . . shouts . . . contempt.

27 They don't allow . . . you to smoke . . . cinemas . . . France.

28 He told lies ... the police. ~

I'm not surprised. He told ... me a pack . . . lies yesterday.

29 This film reminds . . . me . . . my childhood.

30 I rely . . . you to remind ... me to pay Jack ... the books he bought . . . me.

31 We must try to get . .. home . . . time . . . tea.

32 We didn't reach Berlin . . . after dark, and had some difficulty . . . finding our hotel.

33 If we say 'The manager showed ... us to our room',' we mean that he led ... us ... the door. If we say, 'He showed ... us the room,' we mean that he entered . . . the room . . . us.

34 I read . . . him the report. He listened ... me ... amazement.

35 He ordered ... us to give . . . him all the maps . . . our possession.

36 He suggested ... me that we should offer to pay . . . her . . . dollars.