PREPOSITIONS AND PARTICLES

1. He has been a bit left behind and is now trying to catch ____ ____ others .
2. Government officials are looking _____ reports that the lake is being polluted by a
chemical factory.
3. I didn’t know what to say. I was ____ a loss for words.
4. I think you should turn _____ early tonight, you look really tired.
5. It looks as if the rain has set _____ for the rent of the day.
6. We have to go by car. We can not take the bus ____ account ____ the strike.
7. Have you missed those twins? Curiously enough , they look poles _____
8. I am just not prepared to put ____ ____ your inefficiency any longer.
9. My mother never gives anyone a tip _____ principle.
10. The painting was a valuable family possession which had been handed _____ from
generation to generation.
11.Tom’s leaving. Why don’t you put ____ for his job?
12. Jenny has come ______ ______ a wonderful name for her new goldfish.
13. He ran ____ all the money he had inherited in less than a year.
14. _____ My astonishment, I was the only person in the bar.
15. Riding a bicycle ___ wearing a helmet is dangerous.
16. My sister has been living in Hanoi ____ and ______ for the past six weeks.
17. The man with the beard and red hair is the brother of the girl ____ blue.
18. I ‘m afraid I can not come to the concert with you. I ‘m ___ my ears in work this week.
19. Stop wasting time! Get to my office _____ the double.
20.Why did you leave _____ the second question ____ your exam?
21. A large sum of money was stolen ____ the bank last night.
22. Peter bought a new car and placed his old one ___ sale.
23. It was thoughtful ____ Mary to send you a gift on your birthday.
24. Dogs are very faithful _____ their masters if treated properly.
25. Water, when boiled, always gives ____ steam.
26. You can not go back _____ your promises. That‘s unfair.
27. We can’t afford a new car, so we have to hang up ___ this one for a while longer.
28. Don’t throw those books around. They won’t stand ____ to that kind of treatment.
29. I was going to buy that house, but I decided _____ it.
30. Stop spying ___ me.
31. Lorna resorted ____ bribery in an attempt to avoid arrest.
32. Their skin broke ____ in a terrible rash. They were allergic to strawberries.
33. They paid me ____ the hour.
34. Short shirts are _____ vogue now.
35. He‘s not feeling well at the moment, but he should be ____ and _____ again in a few
days .
36. My father is going to go ____ the wall when he finds out that I’ve lost the car keys .
37. He was so hungry that he ate his heart _____
38. He lived in a small cottage which, because it was ____ the beaten track, was very
difficult to find .
39. She said she would join us at the restaurant later, when she was ___ duty.
40. Mr. Green‘s ___ the high jump. He has been caught fiddling the accounts.
41. He was wearing very shabby, dirty clothes and looked very ____ _____ heel.
42.He failed to get a place at university, and ever since then he‘s had a chip ___ his
shoulder.
43. Don’t let him take you _____ with his hard luck stories. The truth is that he‘s never
done an honest day’s work in his life.
44. It’s no use trying to get ____ him with charm. Once he‘s made up his mind he never
changes it.
45. Don’t bother ____ the tea, I have just had time.
46. Some people are indifferent _____ their surroundings.
47. He said that he had left _____ question 6 as they had not studied this topic in class.
48.Ann is terribly sorry to let you ______ this morning, but she is in the bed with flu.
49.You need capital before you can set _______ on your own in any kind of business.
50. The police went ______ the case very thoroughly but finally said there was no
suspicion of foul play.
51. Although he was really a builder, he could turn his hand ______ electrical and various
other jobs as well.
52. The names of the winners were given _____ on the radio.
53. The horse stopped suddenly and the rider fell _____. He could not get _____ again
without help and there was no one ____ sight.
54. Harry was happy to stand ______ for Paul when he was unable to play in the team‘s
weekly football game.
55. H was very taken ___ by her aggressive attitude.
56.H was very quick to assert his authority ______ the younger children.
57. Because of his poor health, it takes a long time to throw ____ his bad cold.
58. I ‘ll keep your application _____ file for the time being .
59. It was serious quarrel, and they took a long time to make it _______ .
60. The boy‘s mother was taken ________ by his lies.
61. Don’t jump ______ conclusions.
62. I didn’t quite take _____ what you said. Will you repeat please?
63.I’m ringing to ask if you could put me _______ ________ the night? All the hotels are
full ______.
64. It was a dull speech. My father dropped _____ in the middle of it and we had to wake
him when he began snoring.
65. Christina came _____ a huge fortune when her father died.
66. I saw Linda in the town this morning and she asked ___ you.
67.Do you think I have any chance of getting _____ my driving test?
68. I’m handing the post ____ to my success at the end of the month.
69.He will never pass his exam – not _______ a month of Sundays.
70. The good were not sold openly but were available _____ the counter.
71. He hasn’t won yet – not _______ a long chalk.
72.She never once needed to consult the manual; she had all the information ____ her
fingertips.
73.People arrived slowly, two or three at a time. They arrived ____ dribs and drabs.
74. He ‘not lying. Everything he‘s told us so far is ___ the level.
75. I know everything there is to know about Roman Britain. I know the subject ______ A
to Z.
76. She was prostrate _____ grief after her husband‘s death.
77.The policeman hustles ______ the crowd to pursuit the criminal.
78.I lighted a rare book in secondhand shop yesterday.
79.Step out of the train ____ the platform.
80.Do you believe in his rumor ______ foundation?
81.It’s like the bolt ___ the blue.
82.He tried to flog the story _____ death.
83.She learns ______ more romantic subjects in her later novels.
84.As she saw a child in the road, she jammed _____ her brakes.
85. They act _____ their kind.
86.He showed great ingenuity ______ solving the problem.
87.Don’t let him lure you _____ agreeing.
88. You are silly not to avail yourself______ this good opportunity.
89. The speaker made any allusions ______ the new scheme.
90. _______ Reference _________ your recent letter, we regret to learn that the goods
arrived in damaged condition.
91.Children are often fascinated ______ things around them.
92.The man is obsessed _______ the idea that he should become a famous person.
93.Work hard now or you will end ______ being a miserable person out of work.
94. Would you please check _____ my composition d\before I hand it in to my teacher?
95.Perhaps, we had better cross ______ his name because of his too frequent absence from
class.
96.He really got his parents _____, losing lots of money in his business.
97.there‘s a determination to hunt ____ all the bribed officials involved in the Orange
Five case.
98. Look _____ _____ sharp stone when you walk on the beach.
99. Several rare species are dying _______ owing to deforestation and careless hunting.
100. We had to take ____ the deliveries to make sure every piece was in a good
condition.
101. his exhaustion resulted from his having taken ______ too much work .
102. my mother always wins when she wants my father to switch ______ ______ the
TV channel she likes .
103. she was able to carry ______ all the tasks assigned to her .
104. it is said that his new book will be brought ____ on the occadion of the
Liberation Day .
105. if there are no futher instructions _____ ten days , you can go ahead _____ the
project .
106. help yourself ____ thye steamed fish . I think I could do _____ its ahead .
107. ________ her distinctive make-up , she ‘s _____ recognition .
108. ________ all , who cares for such garbage ___ a book ?
109. she talks so much that it’s difficult to get ______ ______ her .
110. can he account ______ his extraordinary behavior ?
111. you must not leave ____ the difficult sentence , do them all .
112. sherlock holmes was often able to clear ____ a mystery . ______ leaving his
room in Baker Street .
113. I came ______ a twenty-pound note ____ chance in the street . what should I do
___ it ?
114. they are very two-faced . they ‘re very nice to her when she ‘s there , but they run
her _____ behind her back .
115. the towers are built on immense ferro-concrete platforms which are sunk ___ the
water .
116. I need time to mull things ____ before I decide what to do .
117. she divided the cake _____ the children .
118. I was ___ fault and I want to apologise .
119. the caretaker opens ____ the school every morning at seven .
120. the ecological effects of the factory need to be balanced ____ the employment it
provides .
121. we hired a lawyer to make sure the agreement was all _______ board .
122. the coat has been sent to the dry cleaner ‘s ______ _______ the other things .
123. he spoke ___ behalf ___ the club .
124. he opens a bank account _____ a false name .
125. I was warned ____ being ____ touch ____ her .
126. a true friend never lets you _______ .
127. I hit him so hard that he fell unconcious . I knocked him _______ .
128. the boss was really hot ______ the collar when you told him you lost the
contract .
129. ______ luck , we should be in london by 3 o’ clock .
130. mrs thomson told her plump daughter to eat ____ moderation but she refused to
do so .
131. there is a diversity ______ cultures in this country .
132. the brevity of his speech brought _____ more questions from the audience than
usual .
133. I will agree ______ anything _______ reason .
134. he judged the distance ____ a nicety .
135. short skirts were ______ vogue in the twenties .
136. he cannot do _____ his pair of crutches .
137. she crawled ______ the riverbank and lay there gulping _____ air .
138. you should taste their smoked salmon . Honesty , Fred . it’s ___ this world .
139. help! Help! My house is _____ the fire .
140. if you have any complaints , tell me _____ my face . I can not stand people who
do things ______ my back .
141. julie has nothing ______ common with bill .
142. he let the gun ______ in error .
143. make ____ the quarrel ____ him , please , _____ my sake , if not ____ your own .
144. the baby calm _____ as soon as he was back _____ his mother ‘s lap .
145. I like solving crossword puzzles . I do not do it ______ prizes . I enjoy puzzling
them _____ .
146. mary will not do anything without asking her husband first . he ‘s really got her
______ his thumb .
147. the thing I do not like about my present job is that we often have to work up to
ten hours ____ a stretch .
148. this piano was a present from my father and I wouldn’t part with it _____ love or
money .
149. the party was already _____ full swing by the time they got there .
150. he did not have time to prepare a speech so he had to give one ____ the cuff .