WREN & MARTIN's English grammar-SIMPLE PREPOSITIONS — MCQs for Competitive Examinations

 

SIMPLE PREPOSITIONS — MCQs for Competitive Examinations

(Based on Wren & Martin's English Grammar)

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Average Standard

1. The train arrives ________ Chennai ________ six o'clock in the morning.

• A) in / at
• B) at / at
• C) to / in
• D) in / in

2. She has been suffering ________ fever ________ the last three days.

• A) with / since
• B) from / for
• C) of / since
• D) with / for

3. The book is ________ the table near the window of the library.

• A) above
• B) over
• C) on
• D) upon

4. He was punished ________ the teacher ________ telling a lie in the classroom.

• A) from / for
• B) by / for
• C) with / of
• D) by / of

5. She is very good ________ painting and has won many prizes ________ it.

• A) in / for
• B) for / in
• C) at / for
• D) with / at

6. The old man walked slowly ________ the road and sat ________ the tree to rest.

• A) along / under
• B) through / below
• C) across / beneath
• D) over / on

7. Choose the correct sentence:

• A) He is married with a doctor.
• B) He is married to a doctor.
• C) He is married for a doctor.
• D) He is married by a doctor.

8. The letter was written ________ ink and was sent ________ post.

• A) with / through
• B) by / with
• C) in / by
• D) with / by

9. Identify the error in the following sentence: "She is engaged in completing her project since morning and has not taken any rest."

• A) engaged in
• B) completing her project
• C) since morning
• D) not taken any rest
• E) No error

10. He jumped ________ the wall and ran ________ the street to escape from the crowd.

• A) above / through
• B) over / along
• C) across / down
• D) on / across

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Answers

1. B) at / at "At" is used before the name of a town or city when it is considered as a point or stop on a journey, and "at" is used before specific times. Wren & Martin states that "at" is used for a precise point of time and a specific place — "at Chennai" (as a point on the journey) and "at six o'clock" (exact time) are both correct.

2. B) from / for "Suffer from" is the correct idiomatic expression used with diseases and ailments. Wren & Martin states that "for" is used to denote a period or duration of time, while "since" is used for a point of time. "For the last three days" denotes a duration — making "from / for" the correct combination here.

3. C) on "On" is used to indicate that something is resting on the surface of something else and is in contact with it. Wren & Martin distinguishes between "on" (resting on a surface), "over" (directly above without contact), and "above" (higher than but not directly above) — "the book is on the table" shows direct contact with the surface.

4. B) by / for "By" is used to denote the agent or the doer of an action. Wren & Martin states that "by" is used to show the agent in passive constructions and "for" is used to show the reason or cause — "punished by the teacher" (agent) and "for telling a lie" (reason) are both correctly used here.

5. C) at / for "Good at" is the correct idiomatic prepositional expression used to show skill or ability in a subject or activity. Wren & Martin lists "good at" as the standard expression for ability — "for" is used to show the purpose or reason — "won prizes for it" correctly shows the reason for winning.

6. A) along / under "Along" is used to indicate movement following the length or course of something like a road or river. Wren & Martin states that "under" is used to indicate a position directly below something and in its shade or shelter — "walked along the road" (following the course) and "sat under the tree" (below and in its shade) are both correct.

7. B) He is married to a doctor. "Married to" is the only correct prepositional expression in standard English grammar. Wren & Martin lists "married to" as the correct idiomatic usage — "married with" is a very common error made by learners of English and must be strictly avoided in all competitive examinations.

8. C) in / by "In ink" is the correct expression used to describe the instrument or medium of writing. Wren & Martin states that "in" is used before ink, pencil, or chalk when referring to the medium of writing — "by post" is the correct expression for the means of sending or communication — making "in / by" the correct combination.

9. A) engaged in "Engaged in" is correct when followed by a gerund (verb+ing) — however the real error in the sentence is the use of Simple Present tense with "since." Since "since morning" denotes a point of time requiring the Present Perfect Continuous tense, the correct sentence should be: "She has been engaged in completing her project since morning and has not taken any rest."

10. B) over / along "Over" is used to indicate movement across and above something like a wall or fence. Wren & Martin distinguishes "over" (movement across the top of something) from "across" (movement from one side to the other on the same level) — "jumped over the wall" and "ran along the street" (following the course of the street) are both correctly used here.