Choosing between prepositions can be confusing, especially as the same words can follow different rules for different uses. My previous articles explaining the differences between at, in and on for time and place and the differences between since, for and ago for time showed how these prepositions can be used differently, with a brief exercise to practice. This is a follow-up exercise, mixing time and place uses, and containing a few other prepositions (such as by and to). This exercise takes the form of a brief story, to help you remember as your practice your prepositions:

Mixed prepositions exercise

Complete the following sentences using an appropriate preposition.

1. The cat was sitting ____ the window sill.
2. It looked out of the window ____ a bird.
3. The bird was eating ____ the garden.
4. The cat watched the bird ____ two hours.
5. A man saw the cat go ____ the garden.
6. The man sat ____ a chair.
7. He had been there ____ lunchtime.
8. He was ____ the living room.
9. His chair was ____ the fireplace.
10. There was an old newspaper ____ the table.
11. He left it there three days ____, but had not read it yet.
12. The man did not want to go ____ the table.
13. His wife came home ____ 4pm.
14. She said she did not think he would be ____ home.
15. He told her he had been ____ the office earlier.
16. The wife asked how long the man had been sitting there ____.
17. He told her he sat down an hour ____.
18. She looked ____ him suspiciously.
19. The man got up ____ the chair.
20. The woman sat ____ the table.
21. She put her handbag ____ the newspaper.
22. The man watched her ____ a minute.
23. He waited ____ the kitchen.
24. He put a teabag ____ a cup.
25. The wife tiredly put her feet ____ a chair.
26. He told her to take her feet ____.
27. She said she had been walking too much ____ the morning.
28. The man stood ____ the chair.
29. The woman looked ____ the man.
30. The cat brought the bird ____.

Answers

The following answers are the most correct possibilities. In some cases there are alternatives, as noted. If you have any further questions, or want to use different prepositions to those listed below, please let me know in the comments below!

1. The cat was sitting on the window sill.
2. It looked out of the window at a bird.
3. The bird was eating in the garden.
4. The cat watched the bird for two hours.
5. A man saw the cat go into the garden.
6. The man sat on a chair.
7. He had been there since lunchtime.
8. He was in the living room.
9. His chair was by the fireplace. You could also use similar prepositions such as near, next to and so on.
10. There was an old newspaper on the table.
11. He left it there three days ago, but had not read it yet.
12. The man did not want to go to the table.
13. His wife came home at 4pm.
14. She said she did not think he would be at home.
15. He told her he had been at the office earlier. Meaning he worked there. For a physical location, we could say he was in the office, and to show he travelled there we could say to the office.
16. The wife asked how long the man had been sitting there for.
17. He told her he sat down an hour ago.
18. She looked at him suspiciously.
19. The man got up from the chair.
20. The woman sat at the table.
21. She put her handbag on the newspaper. Prepositions for near, besides, by and so on would also be appropriate here.
22. The man watched her for a minute.
23. He waited in the kitchen.
24. He put a teabag in a cup.
25. The wife tiredly put her feet up on a chair.
26. He told her to take her feet off.
27. She said she had been walking too much in the morning.
28. The man stood by the chair.
29. The woman looked at the man.
30. The cat brought the bird in.