Prepositions

Why A is correct:
"At" is the standard preposition for specific locations or places. "I will meet you at the coffee shop" clearly indicates the meeting location.

Why the others are wrong:
- B (from): Means coming away from a location, not meeting there. "From the coffee shop" suggests leaving it, not meeting at it.
- C (between): Used for positions in the middle of two things, not for identifying where to meet someone.
- D (with): Means accompanied by someone, not a location. It doesn't tell you where the meeting happens.

Correct answer: A (in)
"Interested in" is the standard English phrase used to express what someone likes or wants to do. The verb "interested" requires the preposition "in" to connect to the activity that follows.

Why the others are wrong:
- B (to): "Interested to" is incorrect; "to" is used with verbs (e.g., "wants to learn"), not with "interested"
- C (by): "Interested by" means something caught your attention or surprised you—not the same meaning as having an interest in doing something
- D (about): "Interested about" is not standard English; "about" doesn't pair with "interested"

Correct answer: A (from)

When someone borrows something, it comes from another person. "Borrow from" is the fixed phrase we use—she got the book from me.

Why the others are wrong:

• B (with): "With" means accompanying or using together, not the source of borrowing
• C (of): "Of" shows possession or belonging ("a friend of mine"), not the action of borrowing
• D (about): "About" relates to topic or subject matter, not where something comes from

A. around ✓
"Around the world" is the standard phrase meaning to travel in a circular route that covers all or most of the world's regions.

B. on ✗
"On the world" doesn't work grammatically—we say "on Earth" or "on the planet," not "on the world."

C. between ✗
"Between the world" is incorrect; "between" shows a choice of two specific things, not traveling comprehensively.

D. off ✗
"Off the world" means leaving or escaping the world entirely, not traveling through it.

A. at ✓
"At" is the correct preposition for specific locations like airports, stations, or buildings. You arrive *at* a place.

B. in ✗
"In" suggests being inside a space (like "in the city"), not arriving at a specific destination.

C. to ✗
"To" shows direction/movement toward something, but we don't say "arrive to"—we say "arrive at."

D. for ✗
"For" indicates purpose or duration, not location. This doesn't fit the sentence structure.

Correct: A (with)
"Help with" is the standard phrasal verb in English. You use "with" to show what task or problem you need assistance on.

Why others are wrong:
- B (by) – "Help by" means to assist *in a particular way*, not to receive help (e.g., "You can help by donating")
- C (from) – "Help from" means assistance *coming from* someone, not asking for it (e.g., "I got help from my teacher")
- D (of) – Grammatically incorrect; "help of" doesn't work in this context

• A. at ✓ CORRECT – Use "at" with specific times (at 9 o'clock, at noon, at 3:30 PM). This is the standard preposition for exact clock times.

• B. in – "In" is for longer time periods (in an hour, in two days, in summer), not specific times on the clock.

• C. on – "On" is for days and dates (on Monday, on March 15th), not times of day.

• D. for – "For" shows duration or how long something lasts (for 2 hours, for three days), not when something happens.

Correct answer: A (on)
- Use "on" for specific days of the week (Monday, Tuesday, etc.)

Why the others are wrong:
- B (in): Used for months, years, or seasons ("in January," "in 2024"), not specific days
- C (at): Used for clock times ("at 3 PM") or specific locations, not days
- D (from): Shows a starting point, not when something happens ("from Monday to Friday" shows a range, not a single meeting time)

Why A is correct:
"Afraid of" is the correct phrasal combination in English. We use "of" after "afraid" to show what causes the fear.

Why the others are wrong:
- B (by): "By" means using a method of transportation ("travel by plane"), not expressing fear or emotion.
- C (with): "With" shows companionship or association, not the cause of fear.
- D (for): "For" doesn't pair with "afraid" in standard English; we don't say "afraid for" when describing a direct fear of something.

A. for ✓

"Responsible for" is the standard idiom meaning someone has a duty or obligation regarding something. He is responsible for = he must manage the project.

B. to — Wrong. "Responsible to" means answerable to a person (e.g., "responsible to the manager"), not for a task.

C. from — Wrong. "From" doesn't fit here; it suggests origin or separation, not responsibility.

D. with — Wrong. "With" doesn't create the right meaning; it would suggest doing something together, not taking charge of it.

A. at ✓
"Surprised at" is the correct collocation in English. We use "at" when something unexpected happens or catches us off guard.

Why the others are wrong:
- B. by – "Surprised by" means someone/something caused the surprise (e.g., "surprised by her friend"), not a condition or event
- C. with – "Surprised with" isn't a standard collocation; we don't pair "surprised" with "with"
- D. of – "Surprised of" is grammatically incorrect; "of" doesn't work with this verb

Why A (with) is correct:
"With" shows what they used or included to celebrate—they celebrated *using* a romantic dinner as part of their celebration.

Why the others don't work:
- B (by) means "through the method of," which changes the meaning to say the dinner *caused* the celebration (awkward)
- C (at) shows location only—it would mean they celebrated at the location of the dinner, but misses that the dinner was *part of* the celebration
- D (from) means "starting at" or "originating," which doesn't fit this context at all

A. for ✓
"Wait for" is the correct phrasal verb. When you're expecting someone to arrive, you wait *for* them.

B. with ✗
"Wait with" means to wait while staying together with someone already present—not what this sentence means.

C. to ✗
"Wait to" isn't a standard phrasal verb for this meaning. You might say "wait to do something," but not "wait to someone."

D. about ✗
"Wait about" isn't a correct phrasal verb. "About" doesn't connect waiting with a person.

Correct answer: A (at)
- "Skilled at" is the correct collocation in English. We use "at" when describing proficiency or ability with an activity or skill.

Why the others are wrong:
- B (and) - This is a conjunction, not a preposition. It doesn't work for describing skills.
- C (on) - While "on" can follow some verbs, "skilled on" is not standard English usage.
- D (by) - This would suggest the skill is performed *through* something or *by means of* something, not describing the skill itself.

A. at ✓
Use "at" for specific locations or points. The airport is a specific destination, so "at the airport" is correct.

B. on ✗
"On" is used for surfaces or modes of transport (e.g., "on the plane," "on the bus"), not for arriving at a place.

C. in ✗
"In" is used for enclosed spaces or general areas (e.g., "in the city"), not for arriving at a specific building or location like an airport.

D. by ✗
"By" shows the method or means of transport (e.g., "by car," "by plane"), not the destination where they arrived.

A. in ✓
"Interested in" is the correct fixed phrase in English. When you're interested in something, it means that thing captures your attention or curiosity.

B. at ✗
"Interested at" is not a standard English phrase. You might say "good at" or "skilled at," but not "interested at."

C. with ✗
"Interested with" is incorrect. "With" doesn't work with the adjective "interested."

D. for ✗
"Interested for" is not correct. "For" doesn't pair with "interested" in English.

A. about is correct because "excited about" is the standard English phrase. When someone feels excitement toward something, we use "about" to show what causes that feeling.

Why the others don't work:
- B. on — "Excited on" isn't a real phrase in English
- C. for — "Excited for" is sometimes used casually, but it's not standard; "for" suggests preparing or waiting, not the feeling itself
- D. at — "Excited at" isn't idiomatic English

A. with is correct because "with" shows what they used to celebrate—a grand party was the *means* of celebration.

B. by is wrong—"by" suggests method/process (e.g., "by dancing"), not what thing you use.

C. at is wrong—"at" shows location (e.g., "at a party"), but doesn't fit the "celebrated [thing]" pattern.

D. in is wrong—"in" doesn't work here; you don't celebrate "in a party."

# Answer: A (to)

Why A is correct:
"Look forward to" is a fixed phrasal verb in English. You always use "to" after "looking forward," even though "to" here is a preposition (not "to" as an infinitive marker).

Why the others are wrong:
- B (at) – "Look at" means to view/observe something, not to anticipate it
- C (in) – Doesn't form a common phrase with "look forward"
- D (for) – "Look for" means to search for something, not to anticipate it

At is correct because "be good at" is the standard English phrase for having a skill or talent. We say "good at playing," "good at math," "good at sports."

Why the others don't work:
- In: "Good in" isn't used for skills (it means "located in" or "present in")
- On: "Good on" doesn't match this meaning (it means "moral/ethical" as in "good on you!")
- By: "Good by" isn't a real phrase for describing skills

Correct answer: of - in
- "Accused of" is the standard phrase meaning "charged with" or "blamed for" something.
- "Accomplice in" is the correct collocation—you're an accomplice *in* a crime, not *with* it.

Why the others are wrong:
- B (of - with): "Of" is right, but "accomplice with" doesn't work; you can't be an accomplice *with* a crime.
- C & D (for - ...): "Accused for" is incorrect; the verb is "accuse of," not "accuse for."

Correct Answer: A (at - in)

• "Skilled at" is the correct phrase for describing proficiency in an activity or skill (thinking critically).
• "In challenging situations" is correct because we use "in" to describe conditions or circumstances where something happens.

Why the others are wrong:

• B & C: "Skilled in thinking critically" uses the wrong preposition—we say "skilled at doing something," not "skilled in doing."
• D: "Of challenging situations" doesn't work—we don't describe situations this way in English.

Correct answer: at - at

• "Arrive at" is the correct preposition for specific locations like airports (not "to")
• "At the crack of dawn" is a fixed phrase meaning very early in the morning
• Both blanks need "at," so the answer is at - at

Why the others are wrong:
- B (at - on): "On the crack of dawn" isn't idiomatic; we say "at the crack of dawn"
- C & D (to - ...): "Arrive to" is incorrect; we arrive at a destination

Correct answer: A (in - about)

• "Interested in" is the standard English phrase—you're always interested *in* something, not *on* it.
• "Learn about" is how we express gaining knowledge on a topic—we learn *about* cultures, not *of* them.
• B is wrong because "interested on" isn't correct English.
• C is wrong because both "interested at" and "learn of" are incorrect.
• D is wrong because "interested to" should be "interested in."

Correct answer: for - during

• "Apologize for" is the correct phrasal verb—you apologize FOR an action or mistake you made.
• "During" is the right preposition for when something happened in time—the argument was happening at that moment.
• Option A is correct: "He apologized for losing his temper during the argument."

Why others are wrong:

• B & C: "Apologize to" needs a person (e.g., "apologized to her"), not a thing—you can't apologize to an argument.
• B: "Within" suggests inside a physical space, not a time period.
• C: "At" works for specific moments but not for ongoing events like "the argument."
• D: "In" can work for time periods but is less natural than "during" for describing when something happened.

Correct answer: at - in

• "Arrived at" is the correct preposition for reaching a destination (the theater).
• "In the middle" is the correct phrase to describe a point within an event or time period.

Why the others are wrong:
- B & D use "to" instead of "at"—we say "arrive at" a place, not "arrive to"
- C uses "during," which describes a span of time but doesn't work as naturally with "middle of"—we say "in the middle," not "during the middle"

A. about - to ✓

• "Excited about" is the correct collocation—we say we're excited about something that interests or pleases us.
• "To study" is correct here because "to" introduces the infinitive verb form.

Why the others are wrong:
- B (on - to): "Excited on" isn't a natural English phrase; we don't use "on" with excited.
- C (for - to): "Excited for" means anticipating something for someone else (like "I'm excited for you"), not describing your own feeling about an opportunity.
- D (by - for): "Excited by" works sometimes, but "for" after the blank doesn't fit—we need the infinitive "to study," not "for study."

Why A is correct:
- "Responsible for" is the standard phrase meaning having duty or obligation
- "From the ground up" is an idiom meaning starting from the beginning/basics

Why the others are wrong:
- B & D use "with" – you're responsible *for* something, not *with* it
- C & D use "since" – this means "because" or refers to time, not "starting from the beginning" like "from the ground up" does

• A. by - of ✓ Correct
"Surprised by" is the standard phrasal verb meaning shocked/astonished because of something. "Turn of events" is a common idiom meaning a change in circumstances.

• B. in - of ✗ Wrong
"Surprised in" isn't a proper expression; you don't use "in" with surprised.

• C. at - in ✗ Wrong
While "surprised at" can sometimes work, "turn in events" is not idiomatic—it should be "turn of events."

• D. for - in ✗ Wrong
"Surprised for" and "turn in events" are both incorrect combinations.

Correct answer: with - in

• "Celebrated with a banquet" is the correct phrase—you celebrate something "with" a specific thing or action.
• "In the evening" is standard usage for times of day (morning, afternoon, evening, night).

Why others are wrong:

• B (by - in): "Celebrated by a banquet" is awkward; you don't celebrate *by* doing something in this context.
• C (at - on): "Celebrated at a banquet" could work, but "on the evening" is incorrect—you don't say "on the evening."
• D (with - during): "With a banquet" is correct, but "during the evening" is redundant and less natural than "in the evening."