Random stories - Prepositional verbs

Random Stories

Where I will try to illustrate a language point with a story, no doubt with varying degrees of success.

Here's a little story to give you some practice in prepositional verbs, although I'm afraid it's unlikely to win me a contract with Mills and Boon. It is designed as a follow-up to the lesson on prepositional verbs, where it originally appeared. You might want to do the lesson first. You can find it here.

 

Fill the gaps with the correct prepositions.

Part 1

for   ·   on   ·   of   ·   into   ·   after   ·   under   ·   towards   ·   to

She bumped (1) him one day at the university library where she was working (2) her thesis. She was studying part-time, working (3) her Master's degree. He recognised her and asked (4) the health of one of her colleagues, saying that he hadn't seen him around recently, and asking what had become (5) him. And so they got chatting.

He wasn't really the type she usually went (6) , but there was something in his smile that she really warmed (7) . They went for a coffee and she soon fell (8) the spell of his charm. He invited her to the cinema and suggested that he call (9) her with his car after work. His infectious laugh began to grow (10) her, and after a few more dates she had completely fallen (11) him.

But it didn't take long for it to dawn (12) her that his charm was just a facade, and that he wasn't what she had imagined at all.

Part 2

into   ·   with   ·   through   ·   for   ·   without   ·   at   ·   to

There were too many evenings when she had to go (1) his company because he had to 'work late', too many weekends when he had to go on 'business trips'. And she didn't exactly take (2) the idea of such a solitary lifestyle.

When she burst (3) tears during an argument after one of these trips, he launched (4) a tirade about how she didn't trust him, saying that she had to allow (5) the demands of his career, and telling her that when you enter (6) a relationship you have to work (7) it.

Luckily she saw (8) his lies before she got too involved. She realised that there was no point in trying to stick (9) a relationship that was going nowhere, that was perhaps even heading (10) disaster. She decided she wasn't going to stand (11) his excuses any more, and that the best thing was to finish (12) him now, before she got in too deep. And so she did.

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Answers to the exercises

• Part 1 - 1. into, 2. on, 3. towards, 4. after, 5. of, 6. for, 7. to, 8. under, 9. for, 10. on, 11. for, 12. on
• Part 2 - 1. without, 2. to, 3. into, 4. into, 5. for, 6. into, 7. at, 8. through, 9. at, 10. for, 11. for, 12. with