Practice Questions: Prepositions
Direction for questions 1 - 20: Fill in the blank with the right options provided.
(a) about
(b) by
(c) to
(d) of
Ans: (c)
"access to" is to have authority or permission.
Q2: It is due to their lethargy that the plan fell____.
(a) through
(b) out
(c) away
(d) apart
Ans: (a)
"Fell through" is to collapse.
Q3: Every one of us will have to atone _____ his or her misdeeds.
(a) of
(b) for
(c) by
(d) with
Ans: (b)
Atone for means to apologize.
The services were "dispensed with" and it means 'forgo'. Dispense is followed by with.
Q4: These days everybody complains _____ high prices of commodities.
(a) away
(b) of
(c) through
(d) over
Ans: (b)
To complain of or about something.
Q5: We must not carp _____ the errors of our ancestors.
(a) From
(b) With
(c) About
(d) In
Ans: (c)
If we find fault with something and complain continuously and unnecessarily about it, we 'carp' about/at it.
Q6: Ramesh is on holiday and he ______ his money very quickly.
(a) will have been spending
(b) Have spent
(c) is spending
(d) spend
Ans: (c)
The tense used here is 'present continuous' as the action is still going on.
Q7: This book ______________ five sections.
(a) comprises of
(b) comprises
(c) consists
(d) comprises to
Ans: (b)
The use of preposition 'of' after "comprise" is incorrect.
Q8: Autotomy is the ability of an animal to ________ a part of its body at will to save itself from predators and attackers.
(a) Cast off
(b) Cast away
(c) Cut of
(d) Cut down
Ans: (a)
Cast off , means to remove , and hence this is the answer.
Q9: Their country has no mineral resources to speak __________.
(a) of
(b) in
(c) on
(d) with
Ans: (a)
To speak 'of' mineral means to speak about(Not speech), Speak on means giving speech.
Q10: After the treatment, he was relieved ___________ the pain
(a) for
(b) of
(c) from
(d) with
Ans: (b)
Relieve of is the correct idiom
Q11: The trouble originated ______ a petty quarrel.
(a) in
(b) about
(c) to
(d) beside
Ans: (a)
"originated in " is the correct usage..
Q12: He felt very much grateful ____ his boss for the kindness he had shown in granting him leave.
(a) to
(b) for
(c) with
(d) on
Ans: (a)
Grateful takes to after it.
Q13: The consequences of his haughtiness were that his services were dispensed ______by his master.
(a) with
(b) about
(c) from
(d) up
Ans: (a)
Q14: Which magazine do you subscribe ______?
(a) Of
(b) For
(c) To
(d) In
Ans: (c)
The word 'subscribe' means to hold a standing order for a magazine or other periodical, or for a computer service e.g. He subscribes to three magazines.
Q15: A preface _____ a book introduces the book.
(a) by
(b) to
(c) of
(d) over
Ans: (b)
A 'preface' is an introduction to something and the correct preposition is 'to'.
Q16: There were speculations before these events, which ultimately ____ in the formation of a republic.
(a) Led
(b) Warranted
(c) Bought
(d) Culminated
Ans: (d)
The word 'ultimately' gives us a hint of something ending, so culminated fits the best. And with 'in' only culminated is correct.
Q17: The doctors ____a special course of antibiotics on the patient to ___the disease
(a) used, relieve
(b) gave, take out
(c) prescribed, prove
(d) administered, combat
Ans: (d)
One does not relieve, take out or prove a disease, so for the 2nd blank, combat is correct
Q18: We judge ourselves by our thought, ____________ others judge us by our actions.
(a) when
(b) because
(c) whereas
(d) lest
Ans: (c)
There are two ways in which we are judged; one is 'our thoughts' whereas other is when our actions are judged.
Q19: They have set out ________a journey to a hill station.
(a) in
(b) on
(c) of
(d) with
Ans: (b)
'set out' means to begin. So correct preposition would be set out on
Q20: My uncle apprised me ____ the incident
(a) about
(b) on
(c) in
(d) of
Ans: (d)
Apprise is used with of. It denotes being informed
