5th 6th 7th Grade PREPOSITIONS Worksheet Booklet Homeschool Middle ... - Free Printable

Let's solve the "English Prepositions – Fill in the blanks" worksheet step by step. I'll go through each sentence, determine the correct preposition(s), and explain why.

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1. I get up ______ seven ______ the morning ______ weekdays. I go to work ______ tram.

- Answer: *at / in / on / by*
- Explanation:
- "at seven" → use at for specific times.
- "in the morning" → use in for parts of the day (morning, afternoon, evening).
- "on weekdays" → use on for days of the week or specific days.
- "by tram" → use by for means of transportation (e.g., by car, by bus, by train).

✔ Correct: *I get up at seven in the morning on weekdays. I go to work by tram.*

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2. I take care ______ my son. My son is similar ______ me. He’s quite different ______ my wife.

- Answer: *of / to / from*
- Explanation:
- "take care of" → fixed phrase.
- "similar to" → standard expression (similar to someone/something).
- "different from" → correct preposition (not "different than" in formal English).

✔ Correct: *I take care of my son. My son is similar to me. He’s quite different from my wife.*

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3. China has agreed ______ participate ______ the global economic forum.

- Answer: *to / in*
- Explanation:
- "agree to do something" → infinitive after "agree".
- "participate in" → standard preposition with "participate".

✔ Correct: *China has agreed to participate in the global economic forum.*

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4. My wife spent the milk money ______ cigarettes.

- Answer: *on*
- Explanation:
- "spend money on something" → correct usage.

✔ Correct: *My wife spent the milk money on cigarettes.*

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5. There has been a slight decrease ______ gas prices lately.

- Answer: *in*
- Explanation:
- "decrease in" → we say "a decrease in price", "an increase in demand", etc.

✔ Correct: *There has been a slight decrease in gas prices lately.*

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6. In the beginning, Lilian was not accustomed ______ working in such a big company.

- Answer: *to*
- Explanation:
- "accustomed to" → fixed phrase (to + gerund). Note: "used to" also takes "to".

✔ Correct: *Lilian was not accustomed to working in such a big company.*

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7. My favorite Chinese philosopher is Chuang-tzu. Most Westerners have never heard ______ him.

- Answer: *of*
- Explanation:
- "have never heard of" → common expression.

✔ Correct: *Most Westerners have never heard of him.*

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8. John’s wife accused him ______ cheating. She thinks he is bored ______ her.

- Answer: *of / with*
- Explanation:
- "accuse someone of something" → fixed structure.
- "bored with" → "bored with someone" = not interested in them.

✔ Correct: *John’s wife accused him of cheating. She thinks he is bored with her.*

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9. My boss told me to finish the report ______ 5 pm. After that, I could go ______ vacation.

- Answer: *by / on*
- Explanation:
- "finish by 5 pm" → "by" indicates deadline.
- "go on vacation" → fixed phrase.

✔ Correct: *My boss told me to finish the report by 5 pm. After that, I could go on vacation.*

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10. Kate apologized ______ her son’s poor behavior.

- Answer: *for*
- Explanation:
- "apologize for" → followed by reason or action.

✔ Correct: *Kate apologized for her son’s poor behavior.*

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11. If you’ve got a problem, then do something ______ it!

- Answer: *about*
- Explanation:
- "do something about" → implies taking action to fix an issue.

✔ Correct: *If you’ve got a problem, then do something about it!*

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12. Everyone ______ the HR department was surprised ______ the news.

- Answer: *in / at*
- Explanation:
- "everyone in the HR department" → location.
- "surprised at" → used with emotions like surprise, shock, anger (e.g., surprised at the result).

✔ Correct: *Everyone in the HR department was surprised at the news.*

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13. Paul is very good ______ telling jokes. He reminds me ______ his father.

- Answer: *at / of*
- Explanation:
- "good at" → followed by activity.
- "reminds me of" → fixed phrase.

✔ Correct: *Paul is very good at telling jokes. He reminds me of his father.*

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14. I’m not familiar ______ this neighborhood.

- Answer: *with*
- Explanation:
- "familiar with" → standard collocation.

✔ Correct: *I’m not familiar with this neighborhood.*

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15. If I had to choose ______ going to heaven or hell, I’d choose heaven.

- Answer: *between*
- Explanation:
- "choose between A and B" → when selecting one from two options.

✔ Correct: *If I had to choose between going to heaven or hell, I’d choose heaven.*

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16. Hosni Mubarak was ______ power in Egypt for 30 years.

- Answer: *in*
- Explanation:
- "in power" → means holding political control.

✔ Correct: *Hosni Mubarak was in power in Egypt for 30 years.*

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17. Alan is a fan ______ Manchester United.

- Answer: *of*
- Explanation:
- "fan of" → standard construction.

✔ Correct: *Alan is a fan of Manchester United.*

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18. NATO stands ______ the North Atlantic Treaty Organization.

- Answer: *for*
- Explanation:
- "stands for" → means represents.

✔ Correct: *NATO stands for the North Atlantic Treaty Organization.*

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19. Roger’s company specializes ______ the management of young musicians.

- Answer: *in*
- Explanation:
- "specialize in" → standard preposition.

✔ Correct: *Roger’s company specializes in the management of young musicians.*

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20. I will go ______ vacation next month.

- Answer: *on*
- Explanation:
- "go on vacation" → fixed phrase.

✔ Correct: *I will go on vacation next month.*

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21. The cake was ______ four pieces.

- Answer: *cut into*
- Wait! This is tricky — the blank is only for a preposition, but "cut into" is a phrasal verb.

But if we assume the sentence is:
"The cake was ______ four pieces." → The correct preposition here is into.

However, note: “was cut into” is the full phrase. But since the blank is likely just for the preposition, and the verb is implied ("was cut"), the missing word is into.

✔ Correct: *The cake was cut into four pieces.* → So the preposition is into.

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22. Bratislava is not ______ big ______ Budapest.

- Answer: *as / as*
- Wait: These are not prepositions, they're comparative structures.

But the instruction says "fill in the blanks" with prepositions. However, “as...as” is not a preposition.

This might be a mistake in interpretation. Let’s re-express:

Actually, the intended meaning is likely:
> Bratislava is not as big as Budapest.

But “as” is not a preposition. So perhaps this sentence is misaligned.

Alternatively, maybe it should be:
> Bratislava is not big compared to Budapest.

But the original seems to expect as big as.

Since the exercise is about prepositions, and “as” is not a preposition, this might be an error.

But let’s assume the sentence is:
> Bratislava is not ______ big ______ Budapest.

Then the correct answer is as / as — even though they’re not prepositions.

But if we must use prepositions, perhaps it’s:
> Bratislava is not as big as Budapest. → Still no preposition.

Alternatively, maybe it's:
> Bratislava is not like Budapest in size? → Then "like" is a preposition?

No — “like” can be a preposition, but “not like” isn’t the same as “not as big as”.

So this may be a typo or mismatch.

But based on standard English:
✔ Answer: *as / as* → though not prepositions.

Alternatively, if we interpret differently:
> Bratislava is not so big as Budapest. → rare.

Best answer: as / as.

But since the task is about prepositions, this sentence may need revision.

Let’s move on.

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23. Ken has to finish the project ______ 4 pm tonight.

- Answer: *by*
- Explanation:
- "finish by 4 pm" → deadline.

✔ Correct: *Ken has to finish the project by 4 pm tonight.*

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24. The movie was inspired ______ a book written 50 years ago.

- Answer: *by*
- Explanation:
- "inspired by" → standard phrase.

✔ Correct: *The movie was inspired by a book written 50 years ago.*

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25. I was able to return the product because it was still ______ warranty.

- Answer: *under*
- Explanation:
- "under warranty" → fixed expression.

✔ Correct: *I was able to return the product because it was still under warranty.*

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26. The little boy hit his friend ______ a stick.

- Answer: *with*
- Explanation:
- "hit someone with something" → instrument used.

✔ Correct: *The little boy hit his friend with a stick.*

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27. I plan to work ______ I am 65 years old.

- Answer: *until*
- Explanation:
- "work until [time]" → indicates continuation up to a point.

✔ Correct: *I plan to work until I am 65 years old.*

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28. I wasn’t able to focus ______ my work because of the loud construction outside my window.

- Answer: *on*
- Explanation:
- "focus on" → standard preposition.

✔ Correct: *I wasn’t able to focus on my work because of the loud construction outside my window.*

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29. Unfortunately, I don’t have many opportunities to go ______ business trips.

- Answer: *on*
- Explanation:
- "go on business trips" → fixed phrase.

✔ Correct: *Unfortunately, I don’t have many opportunities to go on business trips.*

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✔ Final Answer Key (Blanks Filled):

1. at / in / on / by
2. of / to / from
3. to / in
4. on
5. in
6. to
7. of
8. of / with
9. by / on
10. for
11. about
12. in / at
13. at / of
14. with
15. between
16. in
17. of
18. for
19. in
20. on
21. into
22. as / as *(Note: not prepositions, but required for comparison)*
23. by
24. by
25. under
26. with
27. until
28. on
29. on

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📌 Summary Notes:

- Many of these are fixed expressions (e.g., "accused of", "reminds me of", "go on vacation").
- Always check collocations and phrasal verbs.
- Use "in" for general time periods (morning, year), "on" for specific days, "at" for exact times.
- For transportation, use by (by car, by tram).
- For activities, use at (good at, bad at).
- For causality, use because of, due to, etc.
- Be careful with similar/different:
- similar to
- different from

Let me know if you'd like this formatted as a printable answer sheet!