This set of 50 preposition MCQs with answers and explanations gives you focused practice with common English prepositions. The questions range from everyday expressions such as fed up with and tired of to prepositions used for place, movement, distance and direction.
Prepositions are short words, but the correct choice often depends on the expression around them. This quiz is useful for English grammar revision, school and college study, language-test practice, and anyone who wants to improve accuracy in written and spoken English.
Try to answer each question before opening its explanation. After the quiz, use your score and the explanations to identify the preposition patterns that need more practice.
Want to test yourself? Select one answer for each question and avoid opening the optional answer explanations while you play. When you reach the end, tap “See Answers & My Score” to reveal all correct answers, explanations, and your final result automatically.
- ✔ Common adjective and verb + preposition patterns
- ✔ Fixed expressions and everyday English usage
- ✔ Prepositions showing position and distance
- ✔ Prepositions showing movement and direction
- ✔ Phrasal and idiomatic expressions
- ✔ Practical grammar practice with explanations
1. Common Preposition Expressions (Q1–10)
COMMON EXPRESSIONSQuestions 1–10 focus on common preposition combinations and fixed expressions used in everyday English.
1. I am fed up _____ his mess.
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Correct Answer: A — The standard expression is “fed up with”, meaning tired, annoyed or frustrated by something.
2. He is tired _____ their complaints
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Correct Answer: B — The natural expression is “tired of” when someone has had enough of repeated complaints or an unwanted situation.
3. She will be there _____ you
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Correct Answer: A — “There for you” means being available to support or help someone, so “for” fits the sentence.
4. The trouble _____ him is that he never knows when to keep quiet.
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Correct Answer: C — The usual expression is “the trouble with someone”, referring to a problem or difficulty involving that person.
5. Shall I ask _____ the bill?
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Correct Answer: D — We say “ask for” something when requesting it, such as asking for the bill in a restaurant.
6. Everybody blamed him _____ the accident.
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Correct Answer: A — The standard expression is “blame someone for” something that went wrong.
7. Congratulations _____ your engagement.
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Correct Answer: C — The fixed expression is “congratulations on” something positive, such as an engagement.
8. She is sick _____ her job.
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Correct Answer: D — The expression “sick of” means tired, bored or annoyed by something.
9. The mission is _____ United Nations control.
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Correct Answer: B — “Under the control” means being governed or managed by someone or something, so “under” is correct.
10. I need it by Friday _____ the latest.
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Correct Answer: A — The fixed phrase is “at the latest”, meaning no later than the stated time.
Read also → Preposition MCQs Set 1
2. Preposition Patterns and Idioms (Q11–20)
PATTERNS AND IDIOMSQuestions 11–20 cover common patterns such as associated with, in common, at the latest and under someone’s thumb.
11. They are associated _____ our company.
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Correct Answer: B — The standard collocation is “associated with”, meaning connected or linked with something or someone.
12. She has nothing _____ common with them.
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Correct Answer: A — We say “in common” when people or things share the same feature, interest or quality.
13. Their share price fell to _____ ten rupees yesterday.
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Correct Answer: C — Both “under ten rupees” and “below ten rupees” can express a price less than ten rupees, so both A and B are possible.
14. I could not find the solution _____ the problem.
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Correct Answer: C — The standard expression is “the solution to a problem”.
15. Their boss has them all completely _____ her thumb. They are really scared of her.
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Correct Answer: A — The idiom “under someone’s thumb” means being strongly controlled or dominated by that person.
16. In the _____ example, you can see how it works.
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Correct Answer: C — The phrase “in the above example” refers to an example that has already been mentioned higher up in the text.
17. They walked _____ the bridge.
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Correct Answer: C — “Walk over the bridge” describes movement across and above the bridge surface.
18. _____ all, you should make sure there are no typos.
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Correct Answer: C — The fixed expression is “above all”, meaning most importantly.
19. The goods that had not been claimed were sold _____ the Police Property Act.
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Correct Answer: B — Something done “under an Act” is done according to the authority or provisions of that law.
20. He was in prison for _____ three years.
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Correct Answer: A — “Over three years” means more than three years.
3. Prepositions in Everyday Usage (Q21–30)
EVERYDAY USAGEQuestions 21–30 test practical expressions involving comparison, criticism, location, information and movement.
21. They have closed _____ 50 newspapers this year.
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Correct Answer: B — “Over 50” means more than 50, so “over” fits the sentence.
22. It is only _____ the end of the book that we find out who the father really was.
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Correct Answer: D — The fixed expression is “at the end”, referring to the final point of a period, event or book.
23. You have finished _____ last at last.
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Correct Answer: D — The expression “at last” means finally, after a delay or period of waiting.
24. I know nothing _____ the matter.
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Correct Answer: B — The natural expression is “know nothing about” something when referring to a lack of information about it.
25. The company has been _____ fire from investors because of its poor performance this year.
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Correct Answer: A — “Under fire” means receiving strong criticism or attack, so “under” is correct.
26. The results were _____ average.
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Correct Answer: B — The standard expression is “above average”, meaning better or higher than the usual level.
27. What is the matter _____ her?
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Correct Answer: C — We say “the matter with her” when asking what problem or difficulty she has.
28. She is feeling a bit _____ par.
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Correct Answer: C — Both “below par” and “under par” are established expressions for being below the expected or standard level.
29. I went _____ to the shop to buy some milk.
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Correct Answer: C — “Go out to the shop” means leave the current place and travel to the shop.
30. She looked _____ the address of the restaurant.
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Correct Answer: B — The phrasal verb “look up” means to search for information, such as an address.
Read also → Preposition MCQs Set 4
4. Place and Movement Prepositions (Q31–40)
PLACE AND MOVEMENTQuestions 31–40 focus on prepositions used to describe position, distance and movement.
31. The cat is _____ the mat.
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Correct Answer: A — The usual preposition for something resting on a surface is “on”.
32. The book is _____ the bag.
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Correct Answer: B — “In the bag” means inside the bag, so “in” is correct.
33. The plane flies _____ the clouds.
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Correct Answer: C — A plane can fly “over” clouds when it is above them.
34. The shoes are _____ the bed.
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Correct Answer: C — “Under the bed” means below the bed, so “under” is correct.
35. The village is _____ from the city.
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Correct Answer: D — “Far from” is used to describe a great distance from a place or point.
36. The shop is _____ the school.
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Correct Answer: D — “Near the school” means close to the school.
37. The bird flew _____ the tree.
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Correct Answer: C — “Fly up” describes movement towards a higher position.
38. The ball rolled _____ the hill.
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Correct Answer: D — “Roll down the hill” describes movement from a higher point towards a lower one.
39. The picture is _____ the wall.
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Correct Answer: A — A picture attached to a wall is normally described as being “on the wall”.
40. The keys are _____ the drawer.
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Correct Answer: B — “In the drawer” means inside the drawer.
5. Position, Direction and Fixed Usage (Q41–50)
POSITION AND DIRECTIONQuestions 41–50 bring together common expressions for position, distance, direction and movement.
41. The bridge is _____ the river.
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Correct Answer: C — A bridge spans or passes “over” a river.
42. The dog is sleeping _____ the table.
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Correct Answer: C — If a dog is beneath the table, it is “under the table”.
43. The mountain is _____ from here.
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Correct Answer: D — “Far from here” describes a location at a considerable distance from the speaker or reference point.
44. The park is _____ our house.
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Correct Answer: D — “Near our house” means close to our house.
45. The kite went _____ in the sky.
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Correct Answer: C — “Go up” describes movement towards a higher position.
46. The apple fell _____ the tree.
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Correct Answer: D — “Fall down” describes movement from a higher position to a lower one.
47. The lamp is _____ the table.
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Correct Answer: A — A lamp resting on the surface of a table is “on the table”.
48. The fish is _____ the aquarium.
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Correct Answer: B — A fish kept inside an aquarium is “in the aquarium”.
49. The helicopter hovered _____ the building.
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Correct Answer: C — A helicopter hovering above a building is “over the building”.
50. The treasure is buried _____ the ground.
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Correct Answer: C — “Along the shore” describes movement following the length or side of the shore.
How did you do? Check your score, review the explanations for any mistakes, and retake the quiz if you want more practice. Pay particular attention to fixed expressions, because the preposition often has to be learned as part of the complete phrase.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a preposition?▾
A preposition is a word that shows a relationship between a noun, pronoun or phrase and another part of a sentence.
Why are prepositions important in English?▾
Prepositions help show relationships such as place, direction, time and connection, making sentences clearer and grammatically correct.
What is a preposition MCQ?▾
A preposition MCQ is a multiple-choice question that tests whether you can choose the preposition that correctly completes a sentence.
What does “under” mean in English?▾
“Under” commonly describes a position below something, but it can also appear in expressions such as “under control”, “under fire” and “under someone’s thumb”.
How can I practise preposition MCQs?▾
Answer the questions without opening the explanations first, then review the expressions behind any mistakes and retake the quiz.
How do I choose the correct preposition?▾
Look at the meaning of the sentence and the words around the blank. Many combinations are fixed expressions, so learning them in complete phrases is useful.
This quiz is provided as an independent English grammar practice resource. The question wording and answer choices are retained from the supplied source material.
