WREN & MARTIN's English grammar-COMPOUND PREPOSITIONS — MCQs for Competitive Examinations
COMPOUND PREPOSITIONS — MCQs for Competitive Examinations
(Based on Wren & Martin's English Grammar)
Average Standard
1. The children were playing ________ the trees in the garden after school.
- A) between
- B) among
- C) inside
- D) beyond
2. The village is situated ________ the two rivers that flow through the district.
- A) among
- B) amidst
- C) between
- D) around
3. She kept her jewellery ________ the cupboard to keep it safe from theft.
- A) outside
- B) below
- C) beside
- D) inside
4. The old temple is located ________ the dense forest and is visited by thousands of pilgrims.
- A) between
- B) beside
- C) amidst
- D) among
5. He finished his work ________ the deadline and submitted it to the manager.
- A) beyond
- B) beside
- C) before
- D) beneath
6. The cat hid ________ the table when it heard the loud noise outside the house.
- A) beside
- B) behind
- C) outside
- D) below
7. Choose the correct sentence:
- A) The treasure was hidden among the two rocks near the seashore.
- B) The treasure was hidden between the two rocks near the seashore.
- C) The treasure was hidden amidst the two rocks near the seashore.
- D) The treasure was hidden around the two rocks near the seashore.
8. The results were ________ his expectations and he was very happy with his performance.
- A) behind
- B) before
- C) beneath
- D) beyond
9. Identify the error in the following sentence: "The teacher distributed sweets among the two students who won the first prize."
- A) The teacher
- B) distributed sweets
- C) among the two students
- D) who won the first prize
- E) No error
10. She sat ________ her two friends during the entire journey from Hyderabad to Chennai.
- A) among
- B) amidst
- C) around
- D) between
Answers
1. B) among "Among" is a compound preposition used when referring to more than two persons or things. Wren & Martin states that "among" is used when the reference is to more than two — "children playing among the trees" correctly refers to multiple trees forming a group around the children.
2. C) between "Between" is a compound preposition used when referring to exactly two persons or things. Wren & Martin clearly states that "between" is used for exactly two — "situated between the two rivers" correctly refers to the position of the village with reference to exactly two rivers.
3. D) inside "Inside" is a compound preposition indicating a position within something. Wren & Martin states that "inside" refers to the interior of something — "inside the cupboard" correctly indicates that the jewellery was placed within the cupboard for safety.
4. C) amidst "Amidst" is a compound preposition used to indicate a position surrounded by or in the middle of a group of things. Wren & Martin states that "amidst" is used for a mass or collection of things — "amidst the dense forest" correctly describes the temple being surrounded by the forest on all sides.
5. C) before "Before" is a compound preposition used to indicate an earlier point in time. Wren & Martin states that "before" is used to show that one action or event occurs at an earlier time than another — "finished before the deadline" correctly shows that the work was completed prior to the deadline.
6. B) behind "Behind" is a compound preposition indicating a position at the back of something. Wren & Martin states that "behind" refers to a position at the rear of something — "hid behind the table" correctly describes the cat taking cover at the back of the table upon hearing the noise.
7. B) The treasure was hidden between the two rocks near the seashore. "Between" is used for exactly two persons or things. Wren & Martin clearly distinguishes between "between" (for two) and "among" or "amidst" (for more than two) — since exactly "two rocks" are mentioned, "between" is the only correct compound preposition here.
8. D) beyond "Beyond" is a compound preposition meaning exceeding or surpassing a limit or expectation. Wren & Martin states that "beyond" is used to indicate something that exceeds or surpasses a point or limit — "beyond his expectations" correctly conveys that the results surpassed what he had anticipated.
9. C) among the two students "Among" is incorrectly used here because it refers to more than two persons or things. Wren & Martin clearly states that "between" must be used when referring to exactly two persons or things — since exactly "two students" are mentioned, "between" is the correct compound preposition. Correct sentence: "The teacher distributed sweets between the two students who won the first prize."
10. D) between "Between" is the correct compound preposition because exactly two friends are referred to in the sentence. Wren & Martin states that "between" is strictly used for exactly two persons or things — "sat between her two friends" correctly describes her position with one friend on each side during the journey.
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