Prepositions are short words — in, on, at, by, for, with, to, from, between, among — but they carry a disproportionate weight in English grammar. They specify relationships of time, place, movement, cause, and manner, and they are part of hundreds of fixed phrases and collocations that cannot be derived from general rules. Preposition errors are among the most persistent for learners of English at every CEFR level, largely because preposition choice in English does not always translate predictably from other languages.
These exercises focus on the three most important preposition categories tested in IELTS, TOEIC, and CEFR exams: prepositions of time (in April, on Monday, at midnight, by noon, during the meeting, for three hours), prepositions of place (in a box, on the table, at the station, between two buildings, in front of the door), and prepositions of movement (to the station, into the room, through the tunnel, across the bridge, along the path). Higher-level exercises introduce fixed prepositional phrases that follow their own rules regardless of the general pattern.
Gap-fill exercises are especially effective for prepositions because they force recall of the exact preposition in context — the same type of productive challenge that arises in writing tasks. Multiple-choice exercises pair commonly confused prepositions (e.g. in time vs on time, listen to vs hear of) to help you develop the discrimination skills needed for reading and listening comprehension. For a systematic explanation of all preposition categories, see the Prepositions theory guides.
Frequently Asked Questions
Four main areas are covered: prepositions of time (in/on/at/by/during/for/since/until), prepositions of place (in/on/at/between/next to/in front of/behind/above/below), prepositions of movement (to/into/through/across/along/towards/past), and prepositional phrases — fixed expressions such as on time, in the end, at first, by mistake, , .
in charge of
according to
Start at A2 for basic time and place prepositions (in/on/at). Choose B1 for movement prepositions and common fixed phrases. Start at B2 for complex prepositional phrases, prepositional collocations, and academic register choices. If you are unsure, take the free Level Test.
On time means punctual — arriving exactly when scheduled or expected: The train arrived on time. In time means not too late — arriving before something begins or before a deadline: We arrived in time to get good seats. This is one of the most common preposition confusions at B1–B2 level and appears frequently in gap-fill exercises.
Prepositions are hard because their use is often idiomatic rather than logical. For example, we say interested in but good at, arrive at a place but arrive in a city. The choice cannot always be deduced from meaning — it must be learned as part of a phrase. Regular exposure through reading and listening, combined with targeted exercises that focus on common collocations, is the most effective strategy for building preposition accuracy.