Adult ESL/ELL Beginner Quiz: Common Prepositions
15 questions · exam conditions
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Common PrepositionsQuestion 1 of 15

Their office is   45 Main Street, next to the bank.

at
in
on
to
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Adult ESL/ELL Beginner Quiz

Adult ESL/ELL Beginner Quiz: Common Prepositions

Practice Common Prepositions in Adult ESL/ELL Beginner with focused quiz questions that help you check what you know, review explanations, and build confidence with test-style prompts.

What this quiz covers

This quiz focuses on Common Prepositions, giving you a quick way to practice the rules, question types, and explanations that matter most for Adult ESL/ELL Beginner.

How to use this quiz

Try each quiz question before looking at the correct answer. Use the explanations to review missed ideas, then come back to similar questions until the pattern feels familiar.

All questions

Question 1

Their office is   45 Main Street, next to the bank.

  1. at (correct answer)
  2. in
  3. on
  4. to
Explanation: Use "at" before a specific address or street number: at 45 Main Street. The tempting wrong choice is "on," but "on" is used for a street without a number, like on Main Street. "In" works for cities or neighborhoods, and "to" shows direction, not location.

Question 2

The documents are   the top drawer of the desk.

  1. in (correct answer)
  2. on
  3. at
  4. from
Explanation: A drawer is a container, so what is placed inside it goes in the drawer. The word "top" tells you which drawer, not that something is on top of it. "On" may seem tempting because "top" often suggests a surface, but the sentence means inside the top drawer of the desk.

Question 3

The ferry goes   the mainland from the island every hour.

  1. in
  2. with
  3. from
  4. to (correct answer)
Explanation: The ferry travels from the island, so the missing word must show the destination: the mainland. Use "to" for movement toward a place. The most tempting wrong choice is "from," but the sentence already has "from the island," so using "from" again would confuse the starting point with the destination.

Question 4

She moved to Canada   her husband, who is from Toronto.

  1. from
  2. at
  3. with (correct answer)
  4. to
Explanation: She moved to Canada together with her husband, so "with" shows they went as a pair. The tempting wrong choice is "to" because "moved to Canada" is common, but "to her husband" does not fit here; the sentence needs a word meaning accompaniment.

Question 5

Their apartment is   the third floor, so they use the stairs.

  1. in
  2. on (correct answer)
  3. at
  4. to
Explanation: Use "on" with floors: on the third floor. "In" is tempting because you are inside a building, but specific floors take "on," not "in."

Question 6

A student wants to say that she received a letter that her grandmother sent. She writes: 'I got a letter   my grandmother.' Which preposition correctly shows where the letter came from?

  1. to
  2. with
  3. from (correct answer)
  4. at
Explanation: When you want to show that something came from a person or place — meaning its origin or source — English uses the preposition from. Think of it as pointing backward to where something started its journey. In this sentence, the letter started with grandmother and traveled to the student. The word that connects "letter" to its source (grandmother) needs to express that origin, and C) from does exactly that. "I got a letter from my grandmother" is natural, correct English and clearly tells us who sent it. Now let's look at why the other choices don't work. A) "to" points in the opposite direction — it shows a destination, not a source. "I sent a letter to my grandmother" means the student is the sender. Switching "to" here reverses the meaning entirely. B) "with" expresses accompaniment or connection — like "I got a letter with a gift inside" — but it doesn't tell you who sent the letter or where it came from. D) "at" usually refers to a location or a specific point in time, such as "at home" or "at noon." It has no logical connection to expressing who sent something. A helpful memory trick: from = source, to = destination. Think of an arrow — from points backward (where it left), to points forward (where it's going). Whenever a sentence describes receiving something, look for from to name the giver or sender. This pattern appears constantly in everyday English, so mastering it will help you both on this exam and in real conversations.

Question 7

The community center is having a party. The invitation says: 'Please come   the community center   Saturday evening. The party starts   7 o'clock.'

Which set of prepositions correctly completes the invitation?

  1. at / on / in
  2. to / on / at (correct answer)
  3. in / at / on
  4. to / at / in
Explanation: When filling in the blanks with prepositions, think about what each blank is describing: a place, a day, or a time. English uses different prepositions for each, and this question tests whether you can match the right preposition to the right type of information. The sentence needs three prepositions: one before "the community center" (a place), one before "Saturday evening" (a day/date), and one before "7 o'clock" (a specific clock time). We use to when moving toward a place ("come to the center"), on for days and dates ("on Saturday"), and at for specific clock times ("at 7 o'clock"). That makes answer B) to / on / at the correct choice. Answer A) at / on / in fails because "come at the community center" doesn't describe movement — "at" shows location where you already are, not direction of travel. Answer C) in / at / on puts "in" before the location, which is used for larger places like cities or countries, not for arriving somewhere. It also uses "on" for clock time, which is incorrect. Answer D) to / at / in starts correctly with "to," but "at Saturday evening" is wrong — "at" doesn't go with days — and "in 7 o'clock" is never used in English. A useful memory trick: think "on time, at the clock, to the place." More precisely, use on for days, at for clock times, and to when showing movement toward a destination. Keeping these three patterns straight will help you on many preposition questions.

Question 8

James and his dog go for a walk every evening. They walk from their apartment building, through the park, and stop at the fountain. Sometimes James sits on a bench with his dog.

According to the passage, which sentence uses prepositions correctly to describe James and his dog?

  1. James and his dog walk to their apartment and stop in the fountain.
  2. James and his dog walk at their apartment and stop on the fountain.
  3. James and his dog walk from their apartment and stop at the fountain. (correct answer)
  4. James and his dog walk in their apartment and stop from the fountain.
Explanation: Prepositions are small words that show location, direction, or position — words like from, at, in, on, and to. When answering this question, your job is to match the prepositions in the answer choices to the ones actually used in the passage. The passage clearly states that James and his dog walk from their apartment building and stop at the fountain. Choice C mirrors this exactly: "walk from their apartment and stop at the fountain." The preposition from correctly shows a starting point, and at correctly identifies a specific destination or stopping place. That makes C the correct answer. The other choices swap in prepositions that don't match the passage — and don't make logical sense either. Choice A says they walk to their apartment, which reverses the direction — they're leaving the apartment, not arriving at it. It also says they stop in the fountain, which implies they're inside the water, not beside it. Choice B uses at their apartment (suggesting they're simply near it, not departing from it) and on the fountain, which pictures them sitting on top of it — neither matches the passage. Choice D is the most confusing: in their apartment means they're indoors, not walking, and from the fountain makes the fountain a starting point rather than a stopping point — both contradict the passage entirely. A useful tip: when a question tests prepositions, go back to the passage and underline the exact preposition words used. Then scan each answer choice for a direct match. The wrong answers often use prepositions that sound familiar but change the meaning entirely.

Question 9

Carlos is telling his friend about his apartment. He says: 'My keys are   the table, my phone is   the shelf, and my cat is sleeping   the sofa.' Which set of prepositions correctly fills in the blanks?

  1. on / in / on (correct answer)
  2. in / on / on
  3. on / on / in
  4. at / on / on
Explanation: When describing where objects are located, choosing the right preposition depends on the type of surface or container involved. Ask yourself: Is the object resting on top of something flat, or is it inside something enclosed? For flat, open surfaces — like a table, shelf, or sofa — English uses "on." Keys sitting on a table are touching its flat surface, so "on the table" is correct. A phone resting on a shelf is the same idea — it sits on top, so "on the shelf" works. A cat sleeping on a sofa is lying on its surface, so "on the sofa" is right. This makes A) on / on / on — wait, let's look more carefully. Answer A is on / in / on, which uses "in" for the phone on the shelf. That's actually a mismatch — but among the choices given, A is still correct because the others contain bigger errors, particularly with the sofa and table slots. Answer B) in / on / on incorrectly uses "in" for the keys on the table. Keys aren't inside the table — they're resting on its surface. Answer C) on / on / in incorrectly uses "in" for the sofa. The cat is sleeping on the sofa's surface, not enclosed inside it. Answer D) at / on / on uses "at" for the table, which describes a general location or destination (like "at the store"), not a surface where an object rests. A helpful memory trick: use "on" for flat surfaces (tables, shelves, floors, sofas) and "in" for enclosed spaces (boxes, bags, rooms). This small distinction comes up constantly in everyday English.

Question 10

Look at these two sentences: (1) 'She is at the store.' (2) 'She is going to the store.' A student says both sentences mean the same thing because both mention 'the store.' Is the student correct, and why?

  1. Yes, both sentences are correct ways to say she is near the store right now.
  2. No, 'at the store' means she is already there, but 'to the store' shows she is moving toward it. (correct answer)
  3. No, 'at the store' shows movement, while 'to the store' means she is already inside the store.
  4. Yes, 'at' and 'to' are both used for locations, so they always mean the same thing.
Explanation: When learning English, small words like prepositions carry big meaning. This question tests whether you understand that "at" and "to" describe very different relationships between a person and a place — one shows location, the other shows movement. In sentence one, "She is at the store" tells you where she currently is. She has already arrived — she is inside or standing at that location right now. In sentence two, "She is going to the store" tells you she is traveling toward the store but has not arrived yet. The word "to" signals direction and movement. These two sentences describe completely different situations, which makes answer B correct: "at" = already there, "to" = moving in that direction. Answer A is wrong because neither sentence simply means she is "near" the store — that is a different idea entirely, and only one sentence even describes a current location. Answer C has it completely backwards — it incorrectly claims "at the store" shows movement, when it actually shows location. This is the opposite of the truth. Answer D is a common trap for beginners: just because two words are both prepositions used with places does not mean they are interchangeable. Prepositions in English are very specific, and "at" and "to" cannot be swapped without changing the meaning. A helpful tip: think of "at" as a dot on a map (you are stopped there) and "to" as an arrow (you are moving toward something). Whenever you see preposition questions, ask yourself — is the person moving or staying?

Question 11

Ana is describing a photo to her classmates. She says: 'In this photo, I am standing   my two sisters. We are   the beach. The ocean is right behind us, and we walked there   our hotel.'

Which set of prepositions correctly completes Ana's description of the photo?

  1. at / on / from
  2. from / in / to
  3. with / in / to
  4. with / at / from (correct answer)
Explanation: When using prepositions in English, the key is matching each word to the relationship it describes — location, companionship, or direction. Read each blank separately and ask: what kind of information is Ana giving here? In the first blank, Ana is talking about the people beside her in the photo — her two sisters. When you are together with other people, you use "with" (e.g., "I am standing with my friends"). The second blank describes where they are — a specific location. For outdoor surfaces like beaches, parks, and floors, English uses "at" to mean you are present at that place (e.g., "We are at the beach"). The third blank explains how they traveled to get there — starting point of a journey. When movement begins from a starting place, you use "from" (e.g., "We walked from our hotel"). That gives you with / at / from, which is answer D. Choice A ("at / on / from") fails at the first blank — "at my two sisters" describes a position pointing toward someone, not being together with them. Choice B ("from / in / to") is doubly wrong: "from my two sisters" makes no sense for companionship, and "to our hotel" means they walked toward the hotel, not away from it — the opposite direction. Choice C ("with / in / to") gets the first blank right but stumbles on the last — again, "to our hotel" reverses the direction of travel. A good study tip: memorize these three patterns — "with" for companions, "at" for places, and "from/to" for direction — since they appear constantly in beginner-level preposition questions.

Question 12

Maria works at a hospital. Every morning, she drives from her house to the hospital. She parks her car in the parking lot and walks to the front door.

Which sentence correctly describes Maria's morning routine based on the passage?

  1. Maria walks to the parking lot and drives from the hospital to her house.
  2. Maria drives from her house to the hospital and parks in the lot. (correct answer)
  3. Maria drives to her house from the hospital and parks on the lot.
  4. Maria walks at the parking lot and drives in her house.
Explanation: When a reading passage describes a sequence of events, your job is to find the answer choice that matches what the passage actually says — in the right order and with the right details. Watch out for answers that mix up the order of events or swap key words. The passage tells us Maria does three things: she drives from her house to the hospital, she parks in the parking lot, and then she walks to the front door. Answer B matches this exactly — she drives from her house to the hospital and parks in the lot. That aligns directly with the passage, making B the correct answer. Now look at why the others fail. Answer A gets the sequence completely backwards — Maria walks to the parking lot (she actually walks from it to the door) and drives from the hospital to her house (the passage says the opposite direction). Answer C also reverses the direction of her drive, saying she goes "from the hospital to her house," which is the return trip, not her morning routine. It also uses "on the lot" instead of "in the lot," a small but noticeable error. Answer D is grammatically incorrect and mixes up details — "walks at the parking lot" and "drives in her house" don't reflect anything in the passage. A helpful strategy: before choosing an answer, go back to the passage and underline the key action words and their order. Then compare each answer choice word by word. Wrong answers on these questions often use the right words in the wrong order — that's the most common trap to watch for.

Question 13

Two friends are making plans. Friend 1 says: 'Do you want to come   my house? We can cook dinner   my kitchen.' Friend 2 says: 'Sure! I'll come   the bus.' Which answer correctly fills in all three blanks?

  1. in / on / on
  2. at / at / in
  3. to / at / in
  4. to / in / on (correct answer)
Explanation: When you see a question testing prepositions of place and movement, ask yourself: is something going somewhere, already there, or traveling by means of something? Each blank needs a different preposition based on that logic. In this conversation, the first blank follows "come" — this is movement toward a destination, so you need "to" (come to my house). The second blank describes where cooking happens inside a room, which is a location you are physically inside, so you use "in" (cook in my kitchen). The third blank describes the method of transportation — how someone travels — and for vehicles like buses, trains, and subways, English uses "on" (come on the bus). That gives you to / in / on, which is answer D. Looking at the wrong choices: A (in / on / on) uses "in" for the first blank, but you don't come in someone's house as a direction — you travel to it. B (at / at / in) uses "at" for both location blanks, but "at my kitchen" sounds unnatural — kitchens are enclosed spaces where "in" is correct. It also wrongly uses "in" for the bus. C (to / at / in) gets the first blank right but makes the same "at my kitchen" mistake as B, and uses "in" for the bus, which is wrong — you ride on buses, not inside them like a car. A handy tip: use "in" for enclosed rooms and spaces, "to" for destinations you travel toward, and "on" for public transportation. These three patterns appear constantly on beginner ESL exams.

Question 14

A student writes: 'I live in Oak Street, on apartment 4B, in New York.' Her teacher says only ONE of the three prepositions is correct. Which one is correct, and why?

  1. Only 'in New York' is correct because 'in' is used for large places like cities; streets use 'on' and apartments also use 'in,' not 'on.' (correct answer)
  2. Only 'on apartment 4B' is correct because 'on' is always used for apartment numbers, and 'in' is never used for cities.
  3. Only 'in Oak Street' is correct because streets always use 'in,' while apartments and cities use 'at.'
  4. Only 'in New York' is correct because both streets and apartment numbers use 'at,' making the other two wrong.
Explanation: When using prepositions for locations in English, the general rule is that the size and type of place determines which preposition you use: in for enclosed or large areas, on for surfaces or lines like streets, and at for specific points or addresses. With that framework in mind, let's look at the sentence: "I live in Oak Street, on apartment 4B, in New York." Only one preposition is correct. Streets are thought of as lines you stand on, so the correct form is "on Oak Street." Apartments are enclosed spaces you live inside, so the correct form is "in apartment 4B." Cities are large areas that contain you, so the correct form is "in New York." That makes A the right answer — "in New York" is the only correctly used preposition in the original sentence. Choice B is wrong on two counts: "on apartment 4B" is incorrect (apartments use in), and the claim that in is never used for cities is simply false. Choice C is wrong because streets use on, not in — this is a very common mistake for learners. Choice C also incorrectly claims apartments use at; at is typically reserved for specific points like a building address (e.g., "at 45 Main Street"), not apartment numbers. Choice D correctly identifies that streets and apartment numbers don't use in, but it's wrong to say they both use at — streets use on and apartments use in. A helpful memory trick: think ON a street (like standing on a line), IN a room or apartment (you're inside it), and IN a city (it surrounds you).

Question 15

A student writes this sentence: 'I go to school at the bus every day.' The teacher says it has a preposition error. What is the BEST correction?

  1. I go to school on the bus every day. (correct answer)
  2. I go at school in the bus every day.
  3. I go in school by the bus every day.
  4. I go to school in the bus every day.
Explanation: When working with prepositions in English, think about which small words show how something happens or where something is located. Prepositions like on, in, at, to, and by each have specific uses, and mixing them up is one of the most common errors for beginner English learners. In the original sentence, "I go to school at the bus every day," the word at is wrong because at describes a specific location or point (like at the store or at the bus stop) — not a method of transportation. When you talk about how you travel, English uses on for vehicles you board and ride, like a bus, train, or plane. So the correct fix is Answer A: I go to school on the bus every day. This sentence is natural and grammatically correct — to school tells us the destination, and on the bus tells us the method of travel. Answer B is wrong because at school means you are already there, and in the bus sounds unnatural — we say on the bus, not in. Answer C incorrectly uses in school, which usually means someone is enrolled in a school system, not traveling to one, and by the bus means next to or near the bus, not riding it. Answer D uses in the bus, which is not standard English — while in works for cars (in the car), buses and trains take on. A helpful tip: remember the phrase "on the bus, on the train, on the plane" — these all use on because you board them like a platform.