Prepositions MCQs With Answers
Prepositions MCQs are among the most frequent grammar questions in competitive exams, and prepositions are listed by name under Grammar and Vocabulary in the syllabus of the CSS English (Précis and Composition) paper. Many verbs, adjectives and nouns take a fixed preposition that cannot be worked out by logic: we are fond of something, different from something else, accused of a crime and congratulated on a success.
These fill-in-the-blank prepositions MCQs with answers practice those fixed combinations: verb + preposition (depend on, insist on, consist of, succeed in, apologize for), adjective + preposition (afraid of, good at, familiar with, angry with) and common uses of at, in and on. They also test related points such as prepositional verbs in the passive voice and object pronouns after a preposition (between you and me). Each explanation states the rule behind the answer, so you can also handle sentence-correction questions in PPSC, FPSC, NTS and CSS papers.
Which sentence correctly uses the preposition that follows ‘good’ when describing a skill?
When describing skill or ability, the adjective 'good' is conventionally followed by the preposition 'at,' as in 'good at swimming' or 'good at cooking.' This is a fixed prepositional collocation, meaning native and correct usage pairs specific words together by convention rather than by strict logical rule. Preposition questions like this are extremely common in competitive English exams.
Which sentence correctly uses the object pronoun after the preposition ‘between’?
The word 'between' is a preposition, and prepositions in English must be followed by an object pronoun rather than a subject pronoun. Since 'me' is the object form of the pronoun (compared with the subject form 'I'), the phrase 'between you and me' is grammatically correct. This is one of the most common pronoun-case errors tested in formal English exams.
Fill in the blank with the correct preposition: ‘She is afraid ___ dogs.’
The adjective 'afraid' is conventionally followed by the preposition 'of' when expressing fear of something, as in 'afraid of dogs' or 'afraid of the dark.' This is a fixed prepositional collocation that must simply be memorized, since prepositions often cannot be determined through logic alone. Other similar fear-related expressions include 'scared of' and 'terrified of.'
Fill in the blank with the correct preposition: ‘He is married ___ a doctor.’
The correct preposition to use when specifying who someone is married to is 'to,' as in 'married to a doctor,' not 'married with.' This is one of the most frequently tested fixed prepositions in competitive English exams, since learners commonly and mistakenly use 'with' by analogy with other relationship expressions.
Fill in the blank with the correct preposition: ‘This book is different ___ that one.’
In formal, traditional English, 'different' is conventionally followed by the preposition 'from,' as in 'different from,' rather than 'different than,' which is more commonly accepted in casual American usage. For competitive exams that follow formal, traditional grammar rules, 'different from' remains the standard and expected correct answer.
Fill in the blank with the correct preposition: ‘I am interested ___ music.’
The adjective 'interested' is conventionally followed by the preposition 'in' when describing a subject or activity someone finds engaging, as in 'interested in music' or 'interested in history.' This fixed prepositional phrase is one of the most commonly tested preposition pairings in English exams.
Fill in the blank with the correct preposition: ‘He depends ___ his parents for financial support.’
The verb 'depend' is conventionally followed by the preposition 'on' (or 'upon') when describing reliance on someone or something, as in 'depend on his parents.' Note that the sentence already contains a separate 'for financial support,' which specifies what kind of support is being relied upon, while 'on' specifically links the verb 'depends' to the people being relied upon.
Fill in the blank with the correct preposition: ‘The plane arrived ___ Karachi on time.’
The preposition 'in' is generally used with 'arrive' when referring to a larger location such as a city or country, as in 'arrived in Karachi,' while 'arrive at' is instead used for smaller, more specific locations, such as 'arrived at the airport' or 'arrived at the station.' This size-based distinction is a commonly tested rule for the verb 'arrive.'
Fill in the blank with the correct preposition: ‘They congratulated him ___ his success.’
The verb 'congratulate' is conventionally followed by the preposition 'on' when specifying the achievement being celebrated, as in 'congratulated him on his success' or 'congratulated her on passing the exam.' This fixed collocation is frequently tested and easily confused with 'for,' which is not the standard preposition used with 'congratulate.'
Fill in the blank with the correct preposition: ‘He is capable ___ solving this problem.’
The adjective 'capable' is conventionally followed by the preposition 'of,' as in 'capable of solving this problem' or 'capable of great things.' This fixed prepositional pairing is commonly tested alongside similar expressions like 'incapable of' and 'aware of,' all of which pair with 'of' rather than other prepositions.
Fill in the blank with the correct preposition: ‘She is fond ___ chocolate.’
The adjective 'fond' is conventionally followed by the preposition 'of' when describing a liking for something, as in 'fond of chocolate' or 'fond of music.' This is a fixed prepositional collocation commonly tested alongside similar expressions like 'proud of' and 'capable of,' all of which pair specifically with 'of.'
Fill in the blank with the correct preposition: ‘He apologized ___ his mistake.’
The verb 'apologize' is conventionally followed by the preposition 'for' when specifying the reason for the apology, as in 'apologized for his mistake' or 'apologized for being late.' This is one of the most frequently tested verb-preposition collocations, since learners often mistakenly pair 'apologize' with 'about' or 'of' instead.
Fill in the blank with the correct preposition: ‘They succeeded ___ completing the project on time.’
The verb 'succeed' is conventionally followed by the preposition 'in' when describing what someone has managed to accomplish, as in 'succeeded in completing the project.' Note this differs from the related noun form, 'success,' which is instead typically followed by 'in' as well, keeping the pattern consistent between the verb and noun forms.
Fill in the blank with the correct preposition: ‘She is proud ___ her achievements.’
The adjective 'proud' is conventionally followed by the preposition 'of,' as in 'proud of her achievements' or 'proud of his son.' This fixed prepositional pairing is one of the most commonly tested combinations in competitive English exams, frequently appearing alongside similar 'of' collocations like 'fond of' and 'capable of.'
Fill in the blank with the correct preposition: ‘He is angry ___ his brother for breaking the vase.’
When describing anger directed at a person, English conventionally uses the preposition 'with,' as in 'angry with his brother,' while 'angry at' is generally reserved for situations or things rather than people, as in 'angry at the delay.' This distinction between 'angry with' (for people) and 'angry at' (for situations) is a commonly tested nuance.
Fill in the blank with the correct preposition: ‘I am waiting ___ the bus.’
The verb 'wait' is conventionally followed by the preposition 'for' when specifying what or whom someone is waiting for, as in 'waiting for the bus' or 'waiting for a reply.' This fixed collocation is one of the most basic and frequently tested preposition pairings in English grammar exams.
Fill in the blank with the correct preposition: ‘He insisted ___ paying the bill himself.’
The verb 'insist' is conventionally followed by the preposition 'on' (or 'upon') when describing something someone firmly demands or persists in doing, as in 'insisted on paying the bill.' This fixed collocation is commonly tested alongside similar expressions such as 'depend on' and 'rely on.'
Fill in the blank with the correct preposition: ‘She is engaged ___ an important research project.’
The adjective 'engaged,' when describing active involvement in an activity or task, is conventionally followed by the preposition 'in,' as in 'engaged in an important research project.' Note this differs from the phrase 'engaged to,' which instead refers specifically to a romantic engagement to be married.
Fill in the blank with the correct preposition: ‘They blamed him ___ the accident.’
The verb 'blame,' when used with a person as the object and the reason following, is conventionally paired with the preposition 'for,' as in 'blamed him for the accident.' This differs from the alternative structure 'blame the accident on him,' which instead uses 'on' when the reason comes first.
Fill in the blank with the correct preposition: ‘She is known ___ her kindness.’
The adjective 'known' is conventionally followed by the preposition 'for' when describing the reason or quality someone is recognized for, as in 'known for her kindness' or 'known for his cooking.' This fixed prepositional pairing is one of the most commonly tested collocations describing reputation.
Fill in the blank with the correct preposition: ‘He complained ___ the poor service.’
The verb 'complain' is conventionally followed by the preposition 'about' when describing the subject of the complaint, as in 'complained about the poor service.' Note that 'complain of' is sometimes used specifically in the narrower context of physical symptoms, as in 'complained of a headache,' making 'about' the correct general-purpose choice here.
Fill in the blank with the correct preposition: ‘I am grateful ___ your help.’
The adjective 'grateful' is conventionally followed by the preposition 'for' when specifying what someone is thankful for, as in 'grateful for your help.' Note that 'grateful to' is also correct, but only when followed by the person being thanked, as in 'grateful to you,' making 'for' the correct choice here since the sentence specifies the thing being thanked for.
Fill in the blank with the correct preposition: ‘She was accused ___ theft.’
The verb 'accuse' is conventionally followed by the preposition 'of' when specifying the wrongdoing someone is charged with, as in 'accused of theft' or 'accused of lying.' This fixed prepositional pairing is frequently tested alongside similar legal and behavioral expressions like 'convicted of' and 'guilty of.'
Fill in the blank with the correct preposition: ‘She is keen ___ learning new languages.’
The adjective 'keen' is conventionally followed by the preposition 'on' when describing an enthusiasm for something, as in 'keen on learning new languages' or 'keen on sports.' This fixed collocation is commonly tested alongside similar expressions of enthusiasm like 'interested in' and 'fond of.'
Fill in the blank with the correct preposition: ‘The committee consists ___ five members.’
The verb 'consist' is conventionally followed by the preposition 'of' when describing what makes up or comprises something, as in 'consists of five members.' This fixed collocation is commonly tested and should not be confused with similar-sounding phrases like 'comprise,' which is typically used without 'of.'
Fill in the blank with the correct preposition: ‘I am looking forward ___ the weekend.’
The phrase 'look forward' is conventionally followed by the preposition 'to,' as in 'looking forward to the weekend.' Since 'to' functions as a preposition here rather than part of an infinitive, it must be followed by a noun or a gerund, giving 'looking forward to seeing you' rather than the incorrect 'looking forward to see you.'
Fill in the blank with the correct preposition: ‘They searched ___ the missing keys.’
The verb 'search' is conventionally followed by the preposition 'for' when specifying what is being sought, as in 'searched for the missing keys.' This differs from the related phrase 'search the room,' which uses no preposition when the location being searched is the direct object instead.
Fill in the blank with the correct preposition: ‘He suffers ___ a rare disease.’
The verb 'suffer' is conventionally followed by the preposition 'from' when describing an illness or condition someone has, as in 'suffers from a rare disease.' This fixed collocation is commonly tested in health-related contexts and should not be confused with 'suffer for,' which instead suggests enduring hardship because of something.
Fill in the blank with the correct preposition: ‘She participated ___ the debate competition.’
The verb 'participate' is conventionally followed by the preposition 'in' when describing an activity someone takes part in, as in 'participated in the debate competition.' This fixed collocation is frequently tested alongside similar expressions like 'engaged in' and 'involved in.'
Fill in the blank with the correct preposition: ‘He is responsible ___ the project’s success.’
The adjective 'responsible' is conventionally followed by the preposition 'for' when describing what someone is accountable for, as in 'responsible for the project's success.' This fixed collocation is one of the most commonly tested prepositional pairings in workplace and academic contexts.
Fill in the blank with the correct preposition: ‘I am familiar ___ this software.’
The adjective 'familiar' is conventionally followed by the preposition 'with' when describing knowledge or experience of something, as in 'familiar with this software.' This fixed collocation is commonly tested alongside similar expressions describing knowledge or comfort with a subject.
Fill in the blank with the correct preposition: ‘She is opposed ___ the new policy.’
The adjective 'opposed' is conventionally followed by the preposition 'to' when describing disagreement with something, as in 'opposed to the new policy.' This fixed collocation is frequently tested alongside similar expressions like 'against' and 'in favor of,' which describe positions on an issue.
Choose the sentence that correctly keeps the preposition ‘for’ unchanged when converting to the passive voice: ‘She baked a cake for her friend.’
When a sentence includes 'for' to indicate the person who benefits from an action, rather than the doer or the instrument used, the preposition 'for' remains unchanged in the passive voice, giving 'A cake was baked for her friend.' This is distinct from the doer of the action, 'she,' who would instead be introduced with 'by' if included, as in 'was baked for her friend by her.'
Fill in the blank with the correct preposition: ‘I believe ___ hard work.’
The verb 'believe' is conventionally followed by the preposition 'in' when expressing confidence or trust in the value of something, as in 'believe in hard work.' This differs from 'believe' used without a preposition, as in 'I believe you,' which instead means accepting something as true.
Fill in the blank with the correct preposition: ‘She specializes ___ pediatric medicine.’
The verb 'specialize' is conventionally followed by the preposition 'in' when describing a particular area of focused expertise, as in 'specializes in pediatric medicine.' This fixed collocation is commonly tested in academic and professional contexts describing someone's field of concentrated study or practice.
Fill in the blank with the correct preposition: ‘They competed ___ the top team in the tournament.’
'Compete against' is used to name a rival or opponent: 'They competed against the top team.'
'Compete for' is used for the prize (competed for the trophy) and 'compete in' for the event (competed in the tournament).
Fill in the blank with the correct preposition: ‘He invested ___ real estate.’
The verb 'invest' is conventionally followed by the preposition 'in' when describing where money is being placed for future return, as in 'invested in real estate.' This fixed collocation is frequently tested in financial and business contexts.
Fill in the blank with the correct preposition: ‘The rain prevented us ___ going out.’
The verb 'prevent,' when followed by a person and an activity, is conventionally paired with the preposition 'from,' as in 'prevented us from going out.' This fixed collocation is commonly tested alongside similar expressions like 'stop someone from' and 'discourage someone from.'
Fill in the blank with the correct preposition: ‘The book was translated ___ five languages.’
The verb 'translate' is conventionally followed by the preposition 'into' when specifying the target language a text is converted to, as in 'translated into five languages.' This fixed collocation is commonly confused with the incorrect 'translated to,' making it a frequently tested distinction.
Fill in the blank with the correct preposition: ‘She is recovering ___ surgery.’
The verb 'recover' is conventionally followed by the preposition 'from' when describing improvement after an illness, injury, or medical procedure, as in 'recovering from surgery.' This fixed collocation is commonly tested in health-related contexts alongside similar expressions like 'suffer from' and 'die from.'
Choose the correct passive voice for the active sentence with a prepositional verb: ‘She looks after the children.’
Prepositional verbs like 'look after,' which combine a verb with a fixed preposition, are passivized by keeping the verb and preposition together, followed by 'be' plus the past participle, giving 'are looked after.' This closely parallels how phrasal verbs like 'call off' are passivized, keeping the full verb phrase intact as a single unit.
Fill in the blank with the correct preposition: ‘He resigned ___ his position after the scandal.’
The verb 'resign' is conventionally followed by the preposition 'from' when describing leaving a position or role, as in 'resigned from his position.' This fixed collocation is commonly tested in professional and workplace contexts describing someone voluntarily leaving a job.
Fill in the blank with the correct preposition: ‘She qualified ___ the scholarship after months of hard work.’
The verb 'qualify' is conventionally followed by the preposition 'for' when describing becoming eligible for something, as in 'qualified for the scholarship.' This fixed collocation is frequently tested in academic and competitive contexts describing eligibility for an opportunity or award.
Fill in the blank: I have been living here ___ 2015.
- 'Since' is used with a specific starting point in time, such as a year.
- 'For' is used with a duration of time, like 'for five years'.
- Correct: I have been living here since 2015.
Fill in the blank: She is good ___ mathematics.
- The correct preposition to show skill in a subject is 'at'.
- 'Good at' is the standard fixed expression for ability.
- Correct: She is good at mathematics.
Fill in the blank: He is afraid ___ dogs.
- 'Afraid of' is the correct fixed preposition combination for fear.
- This is a standard idiomatic phrase in English.
- Correct: He is afraid of dogs.
Fill in the blank: He apologized ___ being late.
- 'Apologize for' is the correct fixed preposition combination.
- This is a standard idiomatic expression in English.
- Correct: He apologized for being late.
Fill in the blank: She is married ___ a doctor.
- 'Married to' is the correct fixed preposition used with this verb.
- This idiomatic combination is standard in English usage.
- Correct: She is married to a doctor.
Fill in the blank: The train arrived ___ the station on time.
- 'Arrive at' is used with smaller, specific locations like a station.
- 'Arrive in' is typically used with larger areas like cities or countries.
- Correct: The train arrived at the station on time.
Fill in the blank: The book consists ___ ten chapters.
- 'Consist of' is the correct fixed preposition combination.
- This is a standard idiomatic phrase in English.
- Correct: The book consists of ten chapters.
Fill in the blank: She succeeded ___ passing the exam.
- 'Succeed in' is the correct fixed preposition combination.
- This idiomatic combination is standard in English usage.
- Correct: She succeeded in passing the exam.
Fill in the blank: She is fond ___ reading novels.
- 'Fond of' is the correct fixed preposition combination.
- This is a standard idiomatic phrase in English.
- Correct: She is fond of reading novels.
Fill in the blank: He is grateful ___ your help.
- 'Grateful for' is the correct fixed preposition combination when referring to a thing.
- This idiomatic combination is standard in English usage.
- Correct: He is grateful for your help.
Fill in the blank: The results depend ___ your effort.
- 'Depend on' is the correct fixed preposition combination.
- This is a standard idiomatic phrase used to describe reliance.
- Correct: The results depend on your effort.
Fill in the blank: The book was dedicated ___ his mother.
- 'Dedicated to' is the correct fixed preposition combination.
- This is a standard idiomatic phrase used for dedications.
- Correct: The book was dedicated to his mother.
Fill in the blank: The company specializes ___ software development.
- 'Specialize in' is the correct fixed preposition combination.
- This is a standard idiomatic phrase in English.
- Correct: The company specializes in software development.
Fill in the blank: He congratulated her ___ her success.
- 'Congratulate on' is the correct fixed preposition combination.
- This idiomatic combination is standard in English usage.
- Correct: He congratulated her on her success.
Fill in the blank: She was absent ___ school due to illness.
- 'Absent from' is the correct fixed preposition combination.
- This is a standard idiomatic phrase used to describe non-attendance.
- Correct: She was absent from school due to illness.
Fill in the blank: The company is known ___ its excellent service.
- 'Known for' is the correct fixed preposition combination.
- This is a standard idiomatic phrase in English.
- Correct: The company is known for its excellent service.
Fill in the blank: She is different ___ her sister in many ways.
- 'Different from' is the standard fixed preposition combination in formal English.
- This idiomatic combination is preferred over 'different than' in most style guides.
- Correct: She is different from her sister in many ways.
Fill in the blank: He is engaged ___ Sara and will marry next year.
- 'Engaged to' is the correct fixed preposition combination for marriage engagements.
- This is a standard idiomatic phrase in English.
- Correct: He is engaged to Sara and will marry next year.
Fill in the blank: The professor is renowned ___ his research on climate change.
- 'Renowned for' is the correct fixed preposition combination.
- This is a standard idiomatic phrase in English.
- Correct: The professor is renowned for his research on climate change.
Fill in the blank: She is anxious ___ the results of the test.
- 'Anxious about' is the correct fixed preposition combination.
- This idiomatic combination is standard in English usage.
- Correct: She is anxious about the results of the test.
Fill in the blank: He is superior ___ his colleagues in experience.
- 'Superior to' is the correct fixed preposition combination, not 'superior than'.
- This is a standard idiomatic phrase in formal English.
- Correct: He is superior to his colleagues in experience.
Fill in the blank: The workers went on strike ___ better wages.
- 'Strike for' is the correct fixed preposition combination when referring to the demand being sought.
- This is a standard idiomatic phrase in English.
- Correct: The workers went on strike for better wages.
Fill in the blank: He was deprived ___ his basic rights.
- 'Deprived of' is the correct fixed preposition combination.
- This idiomatic combination is standard in English usage.
- Correct: He was deprived of his basic rights.
Fill in the blank: She is proficient ___ three languages.
- 'Proficient in' is the correct fixed preposition combination for language skills.
- This is a standard idiomatic phrase in formal English.
- Correct: She is proficient in three languages.
Fill in the blank: The committee is responsible ___ making the final decision.
- 'Responsible for' is the correct fixed preposition combination.
- This is a standard idiomatic phrase in English.
- Correct: The committee is responsible for making the final decision.
Fill in the blank: He apologized ___ his rude behavior.
- 'Apologize for' is the correct fixed preposition combination.
- This is a standard idiomatic phrase in formal English.
- Correct: He apologized for his rude behavior.