ESL Blogs

Dear friends! Honestly, I didn’t expect you to have such great problems with the prepositions of time. So, I decided to post one more test for you to practice a little. I hope now it will be easier for you  to find the correct prepositions as I have already explained how to use them in my group.

Now, here is your task. You should fill in the blanks with the following prepositions: by,  in, for, during, within, till, until, until after, by the time. I have chosen the propositions that caused most of problems in the previous test.

1. She couldn’t find the classroom ___ class had begun.
2. I will have been working here ____ I get some better offer.
3. I will call back ____ an hour.
4. I will be waiting for your call ____ an hour and then, I will have to leave.
5. I was trying to call you ____ an hour.
6. He missed many lectures ____ the last semester.
7. He has been waiting for this meeting ____ many years.
8. Despite the heavy snowstorms ____ early spring, all the snow had melted ____ the mid-April.
9. He hadn’t been able to leave the city ____ the trial was over.
10. The conference will take place ____ two days.
11. He promised to make up his mind ____ two days.
12. ____ they got married, he had already been an open book for her.
13. She had been waiting for him on the bench in the park ____ it started raining.
14. He hadn’t been able to find his way ____ he asked the direction.
15. He was injured ____ the attack.
16.  Many fighters hadn’t lived ____ the end of the battle.
17.  The defenders of the town fought to the death ____ they were shelled.
18. He had known nothing about the accident ____ he was called by the police.
19. Never leave ___ tomorrow what you can do today.
20. Many palace rooms are opened for public ____ two weeks ____ summer.

As usual, we will help you. Let next Monday be the deadline for this test.

And now, have a great time guessing our riddles!

Here are the correct answers.

1. She couldn’t find the classroom until after class had begun.
2. I will have been working here until I get some better offer.
3. I will call back within/in an hour.
4. I will be waiting for your call for an hour and then, I will have to leave.
5. I was trying to call you for an hour.
6. He missed many lectures during the last semester.
7. He has been waiting for this meeting for many years.
8. Despite the heavy snowstorms (in) early spring, all the snow had melted by the mid-April.
9. He hadn’t been able to leave the city until after the trial was over.
10. The conference will take place in two days.
11. He promised to make up his mind within two days.
12. By the time they got married, he had already been an open book for her.
13. She had been waiting for him on the bench in the park until it started raining.
14. He hadn’t been able to find his way until after he asked the direction.
15. He was injured during the attack.
16.  Many fighters hadn’t lived till/until the end of the battle.
17.  The defenders of the town fought to the death until they were shelled.
18. He had known nothing about the accident until after he was called by the police.
19. Never leave for tomorrow what you can do today.
20. Many palace rooms are opened for public for two weeks in/during summer.

Please, ask your questions if you have any and thank you all for participating!