Preposition MCQ (A / An / The) – Daily Practice Set with Answers

• Correct option: A — The verb "astonished" is followed by the preposition at to show reaction to something (astonished at the news).
• Rule: Adjectives like astonished + at + noun/phrase.
• Why others wrong: in, with, to do not express this reaction pattern.

• Reason: The adjective confident is typically followed by the preposition of before the object (noun/pronoun): “confident of his success.”
• Why others are wrong:
  • for — not standard with confident.
  • about — may be used in some contexts, but less fixed than of.
  • towards — incorrect with this sense.

• Rule/usage: The phrase “beneficial to” is a common collocation meaning something is helpful or good for someone or something.
• Why this option is correct: “Exercise is beneficial to health” shows the benefit applies to health.
• Why others are incorrect:
  • Towards – refers to direction, not benefit.
  • for – acceptable in some contexts, but the standard fixed phrase here is “beneficial to.”
  • in – indicates location or state, not the recipient of the benefit.

• Rule/usage: grumble at/about is a fixed phrase meaning to complain about something. Here, she is complaining about her bad luck.
• Why others are wrong:
  • A. in — not used with grumble.
  • B. over — possible but less common; sounds like worrying or arguing about.
  • D. upon — not used with grumble.

• Correct: by — Use by to show the means or method of travel (We travelled by boat).
• Option on is less common for travel means; it’s used for being aboard something (on a boat) but not as the method here.
• Option for indicates purpose or duration, not the transport method.
• Option about means concerning, not travel.

• Correct: to. The adjective similar is followed by the preposition to in English: “similar to mine.”
• Rule: similar to + possessive noun/pronoun (mine, yours, etc.).
• Wrong options:
  • Aim to be similar to is correct; others don’t fit the collocation.
  • of – not used after similar.
  • about, on – do not complete the meaning “similar …”

Correct answer: D) for

• Why: The noun passion is usually followed by the preposition for (passion for something).
• Rule: passion for + noun/gerund phrase.
• Why others are wrong: upon, at, in do not collocate with passion in this sense.
• Correct phrase: passion for dance and music.

• Correct option: C — across
• Reason: "Come across" is a phrasal verb meaning to meet someone by chance. So: "He came across me in the market."
• Why others are wrong:
  • at — implies location, not encounter.
  • into — wrong sense; sounds like entering.
  • of — not a proper preposition with this verb.

• From is used after hinder to show preventing someone from doing something.
• Pattern: hinder someone from (doing) something. Here, the idea is to prevent him from meeting me in the market.
• Other options are incorrect:
  • into — not used with hinder to indicate prevention.
  • of — incorrect collocation with hinder.
  • at — incorrect preposition for this meaning.