About this quiz
55 questions covering every section of the note on prepositions, including time, place and movement, confused pairs, fixed phrases, common errors and worked examples.
This Lok Sewa practice set has 55 multiple-choice questions (Subject: English · For: Kharidar, Nayab Subba, Section Officer · Level: Medium). Take the quiz above first; after that, use the study list below to revise every question with its correct answer and a short explanation.
Study list: all 55 questions with answers and explanations
Fill in the blank: "The train leaves ___ 6:30 in the morning."
- A) on
- B) at ✔
- C) in
- D) by
Why: Exact clock times take at.
Fill in the blank: "Our school opens ___ Sunday."
- A) at
- B) in
- C) on ✔
- D) since
Why: Days and dates take on.
Fill in the blank: "Bhanu Bhakta Acharya was born ___ 1814 AD."
- A) in ✔
- B) on
- C) at
- D) for
Why: Years, months, seasons and centuries take in.
Which pair is correct?
- A) at the morning, in night
- B) on the morning, on night
- C) in the morning, in night
- D) in the morning, at night ✔
Why: Parts of the day such as the morning take in, but night is a special case and takes at.
Which sentence uses the correct pattern with "next week"?
- A) Bishnu will come in next week.
- B) Bishnu will come on next week.
- C) Bishnu will come next week. ✔
- D) Bishnu will come at next week.
Why: No preposition is used before next, last, this or every.
Fill in the blank: "Laxmi has lived in Dhangadhi ___ ten years."
- A) since
- B) for ✔
- C) from
- D) during
Why: For is used with a length of time, such as ten years.
Fill in the blank: "Prakash has been working here ___ 2072 BS."
- A) for
- B) during
- C) by
- D) since ✔
Why: Since is used with a point of time, the starting point, such as 2072 BS.
"Submit the form by Friday." What does "by Friday" mean here?
- A) On Friday or before Friday ✔
- B) Only after Friday
- C) Continuously up to Friday
- D) Every Friday
Why: By means not later than a time; it shows a deadline.
Fill in the blank: "The office stays open ___ five o'clock and then closes."
- A) by
- B) since
- C) until ✔
- D) during
Why: Until means the action continues up to that time and stops there.
Fill in the blank: "Many people visit Janakpur ___ Chhath."
- A) while
- B) during ✔
- C) since
- D) until
Why: During is followed by a noun such as Chhath; while is a conjunction followed by a clause.
Fill in the blank: "Your pen is ___ the table."
- A) on ✔
- B) at
- C) into
- D) among
Why: On is used for a surface.
Fill in the blank: "Dawa lives ___ Kathmandu."
- A) on
- B) at
- C) to
- D) in ✔
Why: In is used with towns, cities and countries as areas.
Fill in the blank: "Divide the mangoes ___ Ram and Shyam."
- A) among
- B) between ✔
- C) beside
- D) into
Why: Between is used for two persons or things; among is for more than two.
Fill in the blank: "The cat jumped ___ the well."
- A) in
- B) on
- C) into ✔
- D) at
Why: Into shows movement from outside to inside.
Fill in the blank: "The train passed ___ the long tunnel."
- A) through ✔
- B) across
- C) along
- D) onto
Why: Through means from one end to the other inside something, such as a tunnel.
Which sentence about reaching Ilam is correct?
- A) We reached to Ilam at noon.
- B) We reached at Ilam at noon.
- C) We reached in Ilam at noon.
- D) We reached Ilam at noon. ✔
Why: Reach takes no preposition before the place.
Fill in the blank: "___ English, Ganesh knows Maithili and Hindi."
- A) Beside
- B) Between
- C) Besides ✔
- D) Among
Why: Besides means in addition to; beside means next to.
Fill in the blank: "The letter was written by Hari ___ a pen."
- A) by
- B) from
- C) of
- D) with ✔
Why: With shows the tool (instrument); by shows the doer (agent).
Fill in the blank: "Sunil is very good ___ mathematics."
- A) at ✔
- B) in
- C) on
- D) for
Why: The fixed phrase is good at.
Fill in the blank: "Farmers in Nepal depend ___ the monsoon."
- A) of
- B) on ✔
- C) with
- D) from
Why: The fixed phrase is depend on.
Fill in the blank: "Ramesh is senior ___ me in the office."
- A) than
- B) from
- C) to ✔
- D) over
Why: Senior, junior, superior and inferior take to, not than.
Fill in the blank: "Rain prevented us ___ going out."
- A) to
- B) for
- C) of
- D) from ✔
Why: The fixed pattern is prevent someone from doing something.
Spot the error-free sentence about the plan.
- A) Let us discuss about the plan.
- B) Let us discuss the plan. ✔
- C) Let us discuss on the plan.
- D) Let us discuss over about the plan.
Why: Discuss takes no preposition before its object.
Spot the error-free sentence about the illness.
- A) He has been ill for three days. ✔
- B) He has been ill since three days.
- C) He has been ill from three days.
- D) He has been ill during three days.
Why: Three days is a length of time, so for is used, not since.
Fill in the blanks: "Kamala is interested ___ painting, and she is good ___ it."
- A) on, in
- B) at, in
- C) in, at ✔
- D) for, on
Why: The fixed phrases are interested in and good at.
The meeting will start ___ 10 a.m.
- A) at ✔
- B) on
- C) in
- D) by
Why: Use at for exact clock times.
I was born ___ 1999.
- A) on
- B) in ✔
- C) at
- D) by
Why: Use in for years.
The office is closed ___ Saturday.
- A) in
- B) at
- C) on ✔
- D) by
Why: Use on for days.
We usually go home ___ the Dashain holidays.
- A) during ✔
- B) since
- C) for
- D) by
Why: During means within that period.
He has lived in Janakpur ___ 2015.
- A) since ✔
- B) for
- C) from
- D) at
Why: Since + point in time with present perfect.
She has worked here ___ five years.
- A) since
- B) for ✔
- C) from
- D) by
Why: For + length of time.
The book is ___ the table.
- A) in
- B) at
- C) on ✔
- D) into
Why: On means resting on a surface.
He jumped ___ the river.
- A) in
- B) on
- C) at
- D) into ✔
Why: Into shows movement inside.
The cat is hiding ___ the bed.
- A) under ✔
- B) over
- C) above
- D) on
Why: Under means below something.
Please submit the form ___ Friday.
- A) until
- B) by ✔
- C) since
- D) at
Why: By = not later than.
I will wait ___ you come back.
- A) by
- B) since
- C) until ✔
- D) for
Why: Until = up to the time.
She is good ___ mathematics.
- A) in
- B) on
- C) for
- D) at ✔
Why: Good at is the fixed phrase.
He is afraid ___ dogs.
- A) of ✔
- B) from
- C) with
- D) by
Why: Afraid of is the correct collocation.
The train arrived ___ Kathmandu late.
- A) at
- B) in ✔
- C) to
- D) on
Why: Arrive in a city or country.
We arrived ___ the airport early.
- A) in
- B) to
- C) at ✔
- D) on
Why: Arrive at a specific place.
The letter was written ___ a pen.
- A) by
- B) from
- C) of
- D) with ✔
Why: With shows the tool used.
The novel was written ___ Laxmi Prasad Devkota.
- A) by ✔
- B) with
- C) from
- D) of
Why: By shows the doer in passive voice.
He walked ___ the road carefully.
- A) over
- B) across ✔
- C) through
- D) into
Why: Across means from one side to the other.
The plane flew ___ the clouds.
- A) under
- B) between
- C) above ✔
- D) among
Why: Above means higher than.
Divide the sweets ___ the two children.
- A) among
- B) with
- C) into
- D) between ✔
Why: Between for two.
Distribute the books ___ all the students.
- A) among ✔
- B) between
- C) with
- D) by
Why: Among for more than two.
She is married ___ a doctor.
- A) with
- B) to ✔
- C) by
- D) from
Why: Married to is correct.
He insisted ___ paying the bill.
- A) for
- B) to
- C) on ✔
- D) at
Why: Insist on + -ing.
The minister was accused ___ corruption.
- A) for
- B) with
- C) on
- D) of ✔
Why: Accused of is correct.
We congratulated him ___ his success.
- A) on ✔
- B) for
- C) at
- D) with
Why: Congratulate someone on something.
He died ___ cancer.
- A) from
- B) of ✔
- C) by
- D) with
Why: Die of a disease.
I prefer tea ___ coffee.
- A) than
- B) over
- C) to ✔
- D) from
Why: Prefer A to B.
The government is responsible ___ public safety.
- A) to
- B) of
- C) about
- D) for ✔
Why: Responsible for a task.
She is interested ___ politics.
- A) in ✔
- B) on
- C) at
- D) for
Why: Interested in.
He was absent ___ the office yesterday.
- A) in
- B) from ✔
- C) at
- D) of
Why: Absent from.