Explanations Movement Position and place Other uses Problems of use Prepositions used with verbs of motion {come, go, run, etc) show the direction of the movement. Jack ran out of the room. Sue moved towards the door. Other examples: to, into, across, around, along, up, down, past Prepositions can show position. Ted was sitting next to Janet. The bank is opposite the cinema. Other examples: before, below, beside, in front of, near, on top of, under Prepositions can show place. J live in France. Sue lives on an island. John is at school. See below for problems of use. m Prepositions are also used in time expressions. s Prepositions cover a wide range of other meanings. This book is about Napoleon. I can't drink tea with/without sugar. m To and at With verbs of motion to means in the direction of. At is not used with verbs of motion. It is used to say where someone or something is. We went to the cinema. We arrived at the cinema. m Next to and near Next to means very close, with nothing in between. It is the same as beside. Near means only a short distance from, which can be a matter of opinion. Peter always sits next to Mary. I live near the sea, it's only ten miles away. m Above and over Both words mean in a higher position than, but over suggests closeness or touching. There was a plane high above them. Put this blanket over you. There may be little difference in some contexts. There was something written above/over the door. 69 FIRST CERTIFICATE LANGUAGE PRACTICE Prepositions without an object Prepositions with more than one word Prepositional phrases In and at: places In refers to towns, countries and the 'inside' of places. She lives in Paris. They arrived in Peru. He's in the kitchen. At refers to points with a particular purpose rather than inside. She lives at home. I'll meet you at the bus stop. Compare: They met in the cinema, (inside) They met at the cinema, (place) Prepositions at the end of a sentence Study these common examples: Who are you waiting for? You are very difficult to live with! That's the company that I work for. (question) (infinitive) (relative clause) Some prepositions can be used without an object. Ted was walking along, whistling. In this example we mean along the street, but it is clear from the context unimportant. Other prepositions used like this are: around, along, behind, opposite Examples: according to, on behalf of, by means of Other examples are included in the Practice section. There are many fixed phrases containing prepositions. Examples: by mistake, on purpose, out of order Other examples are included in the Practice section. 70 GRAMMAR 12 PREPOSITIONS Practice Underline the most suitable prepositions. a) I got at/to the station just in time to see Jack getting from/off the train. b) The cafe is among/between the chemist's and the butcher's and across/opposite the library. c) Sue lives at/in Wales, which is a country at/in the west of Britain. d) I was brought up in/on an island near/next to the coast of Scotland. e) Travelling by/in your own car is better than going by/on foot. f) Jack was leaning by/against the wall with his hands in/into his pockets. g) Ann had a hat on/over her head and a veil above/over her face. h) We arrived at/in England at/in Gatwick Airport. i) I left my bags at/from the station at/in a left luggage locker. j) Peter came running into/to the room and threw his books at/onto the floor. Complete each sentence with a suitable word or phrase from the box. according to because of instead of apart from by means of in favour of on behalf of as for in case of regardless of a) I think I'd rather have coffee......\Y^.P.^^...9f..... tea. b) ..............................the danger, Paul ran back into the burning house. c) ..............................fire, smash the glass and push the button. d) Personally, I am..............................banning cigarette smoking completely! e) I would like to thank you, ..............................everyone who was rescued. f) ..............................you, no-one else knows that I have escaped. g) ..............................Steve, he believes that we should stay where we are. h) Jim managed to climb into the house..............................a ladder he found. i) ..............................the rain, the match was postponed. j) ..............................the timetable, the next train isn't for two hours. Decide whether it is possible to leave out the words in italics. a) Most people are wandering around the streets, taking photos. ,..0MiM&... b) I gave my bike to my little sister, when it became too small for me................ c) The people who live in the house opposite our house are Italian.................... d) I left my coat on the bed in here but it seems to have disappeared.................. e) I'll wait for you outside the cinema, on the pavement...................... f) Peter took a deep breath, and then went under the water again...................... g) Don't worry, the hotel's quite near to where we are now...................... h) The children can sit behind you in the back seats...................... FIRST CERTIFICATE LANGUAGE PRACTICE 4 Complete each sentence with a suitable word or phrase from the box. at by for in on out of to under without sHBHMHEflHHHHEBHBB^ a) Police officers don't have to wear uniform when they are........$ff........duty. b) I feel very tired......................times I consider giving up work. c) The children were all upset, and some were.....................tears. d) This factory needs modernising. Everything here is.....................date. e) Don't worry, everything is.....................control. f) Sorry, I seem to have taken the wrong umbrella.....................mistake. g) Please hurry. We need these documents.....................delay. h) That wasn't an accident! You did it.....................purpose. i) We thought the two films were very similar.....................each other. j) We decided to take a holiday in Wales.....................a change. 5 Underline the most suitable phrase in each sentence. a) I can't disturb John now. He's at bed/in bed. b) Tony always arrives exactly in time/on time for his lesson. c) Two pounds for each ticket, that makes £12 in all/with all. d) I can't pick that last apple. It's out of hand/out of reach. e) Joe and I met on the plane completely by chance/by surprise. f) The children spend most of their time out ofdoors/out of place. g) I'm sorry but Jane isn't here at present/at a time. h) How can Sam love Lucy? They have nothing in common/in general. i) They should be here soon. They are in the way/on the way. j) Terry isn't here. He's away in business/on business. 6 Complete each sentence with a suitable word from the box. breath fail impression secret strike eests return stock a) This is important. You must catch the two men at all......$Qffrf........ b) I was under the.....................that you enjoyed working here. c) Please hand your work in on Tuesday, without...................... d) We can't go by train. The train-drivers are on...................... e) Martin is supposed to have given up smoking, but he smokes in................... f) I'm afraid we don't have your size, we are out of...................... g) If I give you the information, what will you give me in.....................? h) I ran for the bus, and now I'm out of...................... 72 GRAMMAR 12 PREPOSITIONS Complete each sentence with a suitable word from the box. average profit sight detail himself practice public whole a) Harry managed to sell his house at a..... wM...... b) What was he doing here all by.....................? c) Larry is so famous that he doesn't appear in.....................very often. d) That was a terrible shot! I'm rather out of...................... e) How many cars do you sell, on....................., every week? f) The police are coming! Stay out of.....................until they leave. g) I suppose I enjoyed my holiday on the...................... h) Can you tell me about the plans in..................... ? Complete each sentence with a suitable phrase from the box. by heart in difficulties out of work by sight in pain in two on sale without a doubt a) When I sat on the pencil, it broke...............\YSc.P$iP................. b) This is..........................................the best washing machine on the market. c) Graham has been..........................................ever since he came to London. d) I know her.........................................., but I don't know her name. e) The lifeguard dived in to save a swimmer........................................... f) John learned his first speech........................................... g) You could tell he was..........................................because he kept groaning. h) Cigarettes and ice cream are..........................................in the foyer. Complete each sentence with one of the phrases from the box. at any rate in person out of danger out of tune from now on in private out of order a) Jim's excuse was that he was acting........&Y\d&£.fiKd&U..........from his boss. b) Things have changed..........................................., no-one leaves before 5.00. c) Thank goodness. All the passengers are now........................................... d) The President would like to meet you and thank you..................................... e) Your violin sounds awful! I think it's........................................... f) It's a warm country. We won't need our pullovers, ......................................... g) Excuse me, but I'd like to have a word with you........................................... h) You can't use the phone. It's........................................... FIRST CERTIFICATE LANGUAGE PRACTICE 10 Look carefully at each line. Some of the lines are correct, and some have a word which should not be there. Tick each correct line. If a line has a word which should not be there, write the word in the space. The psychology of accidents Most people are under the impression that ..........Iff. doing something by a mistake is quite different ..........f!. from doing something on purpose. In the fact, 1) ............. according to by some psychologists, many 2) ..................... accidents do not, on the whole, really happen 3) to by chance. There may be good reasons for 4) actions which seem to be accidental. For an 5) example, someone who fails to arrive on time 6) as for a meeting at work may be worried about 7) his or her job, or be in with difficulties at home. 8) In other words, there are often good reasons for 9) behaviour which seems at the first to be 10) accidental. Of this course, some people are 11) involved in more accidents than others. These 12) people are called 'accident prone'. In the general 13) they either suffer from stress, or could have in 14) a physical illness without knowing about it. 15) There is a group of prepositions used with verbs of motion. across, along, around, down, into, out of, past, to, towards, up Some prepositions can be used without an object. Jean lives opposite. A sentence can end with a preposition. Paul didn't have a chair to sit on. Key points 1 2 3 SEE ALSO Grammar 14: Time express» Grammar 15: Consolidatio 74