1. Put in at, for, during, by, until or in.
The city of London was founded by the Romans (1) …in…… the year 43 CE. (2) …During…… the next few years it quickly became the main trading centre in Britain. (3) …………………. two hundred years after the Romans left, the city was almost forgotten. The full importance of the city of London did not return (4) …………………. the eleventh century.
(5) …………………. the end of that century, the government of England was based in Westminster and the Tower of London had been started. (6) …………………. the Middle Ages London continued to grow and (7) …………………. the time of Shakespeare, it had become a prosperous capital city with many fine buildings. Unfortunately, most of these buildings were made of wood and (8) …………………. 1666 they were almost all destroyed by a fire which lasted (9) …………………. several days. The Great Fire of London was a real tragedy for the people living there (10) …………………. that time, but it is true that many of the areas which are most attractive today were planned (11) …………………. the rebuilding which followed.
Answer
3 For 4 until 5 By/At
6 During/In 7 by 8 in
9 for 10 at 11 during
2. Answer the questions, beginning each answer with a preposition.
1 When’s your birthday?
2 What year did you start school?
3 When do you usually have your main meal of the day?
4 What time of the year is it best to go on holiday?
5 When do you meet your friends?
6 When did you last receive a present from anyone?
7 How long have you been studying English?
Answer
Example answers:
1 in May or on 8th May 2 in 2001
3 at about nine o’clock in the evening
4 in summer 5 after dinner
6 on my birthday 7 for five years
3. Complete the article with the prepositions from the box. If no word is necessary, leave the space empty (–).
at by during for in on until while
THE WAY PEOPLE WORK
Zack is a nurse who works the night shift. How does he manage?
‘Well, I finish work (1) …at…… 6.30 am. Then I go home, have a shower and try to be in bed (2) …by…… half past eight. (3) …………… the same time as I’m getting ready for bed, Joanne, my wife, and our four-year-old daughter, Elaine, are getting up. Joanne drops Elaine at nursery school, which she started (4) …………… last year, on the way to her office.
I usually sleep (5) …………… about three o’clock (6) …………… the afternoon. I have to be at the school (7) …………… 3.30 to collect Elaine. We come home and she plays or watches a cartoon (8) …………… I prepare our meal.
When Joanne comes home from work, we eat. If we’re lucky, we can relax (9) …………… an hour before putting Elaine to bed. Then we do any chores that didn’t get done earlier.
I always allow plenty of time to get to the hospital because if I’m not there (10) …………… time, another nurse will have to go on working (11) …………… I arrive.
I’m often very tired (12) …………… the time I finish, but I don’t really mind. There’s a special atmosphere in the hospital (13) …………… night. Of course, I have a free day (14) …………… every week. And the hours suit us, (15) …………… the moment anyway. I may want to work (16) …………… the day when Elaine goes to a different school. Perhaps I’ll be ready for a change (17) …………… then.’
Answer
3 At 8 while 13 at
4 – 9 for 14 –
5 until 10 on 15 at/for
6 in 11 until 16 during
7 at/by 12 by 17 by
