Adult ESL/ELL Intermediate Quiz: Advanced Prepositions
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Advanced PrepositionsQuestion 1 of 10

Maria has been working at the downtown hospital for three years. She started as a receptionist, but after completing a training program, she moved into a nursing assistant role. Her supervisor noted that Maria showed remarkable improvement in patient communication skills throughout the entire six-month training period.

Which sentence correctly uses a preposition to describe when Maria's improvement occurred?

Maria showed improvement during the six-month training program, developing better communication with patients consistently over that time.
Maria showed improvement within the six-month training program, which means she finished growing before the program even started.
Maria showed improvement across the training program, but this word only works when describing physical movement between two separate locations.
Maria showed improvement toward the six-month training program, indicating the improvement happened in advance of the training rather than inside it.
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Adult ESL/ELL Intermediate Quiz

Adult ESL/ELL Intermediate Quiz: Advanced Prepositions

Practice Advanced Prepositions in Adult ESL/ELL Intermediate 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 Advanced Prepositions, giving you a quick way to practice the rules, question types, and explanations that matter most for Adult ESL/ELL Intermediate.

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

Maria has been working at the downtown hospital for three years. She started as a receptionist, but after completing a training program, she moved into a nursing assistant role. Her supervisor noted that Maria showed remarkable improvement in patient communication skills throughout the entire six-month training period.

Which sentence correctly uses a preposition to describe when Maria's improvement occurred?

  1. Maria showed improvement during the six-month training program, developing better communication with patients consistently over that time. (correct answer)
  2. Maria showed improvement within the six-month training program, which means she finished growing before the program even started.
  3. Maria showed improvement across the training program, but this word only works when describing physical movement between two separate locations.
  4. Maria showed improvement toward the six-month training program, indicating the improvement happened in advance of the training rather than inside it.
Explanation: When a question asks about when something happened over a span of time, focus on which preposition accurately captures a continuous process unfolding within a time period — not before it, not outside it, and not just physically across a space. Choice A is correct because "during" is the ideal preposition for describing something that happened continuously throughout a time period. Saying Maria improved "during the six-month training program" tells us the improvement was happening consistently as the program unfolded — which matches the passage's description of "remarkable improvement throughout the entire six-month training period." The rest of the sentence reinforces this by adding "consistently over that time," showing the improvement was ongoing, not a single moment. Choice B misuses "within," which can describe a time boundary (finishing within three days), but then gives an illogical explanation — claiming Maria "finished growing before the program even started." That contradicts both the preposition's correct meaning and the passage entirely. Watch for answer choices that pair a plausible word with a nonsensical explanation. Choice C incorrectly claims "across" only works for physical movement between locations. Actually, "across" can describe time spans, but the explanation attached to it is false and misleading — a sign that the whole answer is a trap. Choice D uses "toward," which suggests movement in the direction of something, implying the improvement happened before the training began. That directly contradicts the passage. Your study tip: when you see time-related prepositions on the exam, ask yourself — does this word describe something inside a time period (during, throughout, within) or outside/around it? That one question will help you eliminate traps quickly.

Question 2

A city planner writes: 'New bike lanes have been installed   the entire length of Fifth Avenue, connecting the north end to the south end of the city.' Which preposition best completes this sentence and expresses extent or coverage over a distance?

  1. during, because the sentence is describing a process that happened over a period of time along a road
  2. toward, because the bike lanes are moving in the direction of the south end of the city from the north
  3. across, because this preposition expresses coverage or extent from one side or end to the other of a space or area (correct answer)
  4. within, because the bike lanes are contained inside the boundaries of Fifth Avenue and do not go beyond it
Explanation: When choosing a preposition, ask yourself what relationship the sentence is expressing — time, direction, location, or extent. This sentence describes bike lanes covering a full distance from one end of a city to the other, so you need a preposition that signals coverage or span across a space. Across is the right choice (C) because it expresses movement or coverage from one side or end of something to the other. "Across the entire length of Fifth Avenue" tells the reader that the bike lanes span the full distance continuously, connecting both ends — exactly what the sentence describes. The phrase "connecting the north end to the south end" is a strong clue, because it confirms we need a word about full coverage, not time, direction, or containment. Choice A, during, is a time preposition — it answers when something happens (during the meeting, during summer). It makes no logical sense describing a physical road. Choice B, toward, expresses direction or movement aimed at something, meaning you're getting closer to a destination but haven't necessarily reached it. The bike lanes aren't moving toward anything — they're already installed along the full route. Choice D, within, means inside the limits or boundaries of something, which focuses on containment rather than coverage or span. While bike lanes are technically on Fifth Avenue, within doesn't communicate the idea of stretching across the full length. A helpful tip: when a sentence mentions two opposite ends, sides, or points (north/south, east/west, top/bottom), across is often the preposition that best captures that full-coverage meaning.

Question 3

Read the following two sentences and decide which one uses the underlined preposition correctly:

Sentence 1: The children walked toward the playground, but then turned around before reaching it. Sentence 2: The teacher spoke toward the entire class, covering grammar topics from the first chapter to the last.

  1. Both sentences use 'toward' correctly because the word can describe both movement in a direction and coverage across a wide group of people or topics.
  2. Only Sentence 1 uses 'toward' correctly, because 'toward' expresses movement or orientation in a direction, while Sentence 2 requires 'across' to show coverage from beginning to end. (correct answer)
  3. Only Sentence 2 uses 'toward' correctly, because 'toward' can replace 'across' when describing how a teacher addresses a class over a full range of material.
  4. Neither sentence uses 'toward' correctly, because 'toward' only works in sentences about physical objects moving through outdoor spaces, not people walking or teachers speaking.
Explanation: When you see a question about prepositions, ask yourself: what job is this word doing in the sentence? Every preposition has a core meaning, and using it correctly means matching that meaning to the situation. The word toward expresses movement or orientation in a direction — it tells you where something or someone is headed, even if they never fully arrive. In Sentence 1, the children are physically moving in the direction of the playground. That's a textbook use of toward, and it works perfectly, even though they turn around before getting there. The direction of movement is what matters, not whether they reach the destination. Sentence 2 is the problem. The teacher isn't moving toward the class — she is addressing the class and covering material from start to finish. That idea of spanning a range from one end to another belongs to the preposition across. You'd say "she spoke across the entire class" or "covered topics across the first chapter to the last." Using toward here creates confusion because it implies direction, not coverage. That makes B the correct answer. Only Sentence 1 uses toward correctly. A is wrong because toward cannot substitute for across — they describe fundamentally different relationships. C flips the logic entirely and incorrectly claims Sentence 2 is the valid one. D goes too far in the other direction; toward absolutely applies to people walking — it's not limited to non-human objects in outdoor settings. As a strategy, when checking a preposition, mentally replace it with its definition. If the meaning breaks down, the preposition is wrong.

Question 4

Carlos is studying for his citizenship test. He has read that applicants must pass the English and civics portions of the exam. The test administrator told him: 'You have ten minutes to complete each section. If you do not finish a section in the allowed time, your answers for that section will not be counted.'

Carlos wants to write a reminder note to himself using the correct preposition. Which sentence correctly expresses the time limit for each section?

  1. 'I must finish each section during ten minutes' — using 'during' to show that my work happens inside the ten-minute time period allowed for each part.
  2. 'I must finish each section within ten minutes' — using 'within' to show that I have a limit and must complete each part before that time runs out. (correct answer)
  3. 'I must finish each section across ten minutes' — using 'across' to show that my effort will be spread out and distributed over the full ten-minute period evenly.
  4. 'I must finish each section toward ten minutes' — using 'toward' to show that I should aim my efforts in the direction of the ten-minute mark as a target.
Explanation: When you see a question about time limits and deadlines, think about what the preposition needs to do: does it describe when something happens, or does it set a boundary that must not be crossed? The word within expresses a boundary or limit — it tells you that something must be completed before a certain point is reached. In Carlos's situation, he must finish before the ten minutes expire. That makes B the correct choice. "I must finish each section within ten minutes" perfectly captures the idea that the clock is a deadline, not just a backdrop. A is incorrect because during describes something that happens inside a time period as background — for example, "I fell asleep during the movie." It doesn't communicate urgency or a limit. Using "during ten minutes" sounds unnatural and misses the deadline meaning entirely. C is wrong because across suggests spreading something over a span, often used with larger contexts like "across three countries" or "across different topics." It does not express a time limit and would confuse the meaning of the sentence. D is incorrect because toward indicates a direction or movement approaching something — "she walked toward the door." It doesn't set a deadline or boundary, so "toward ten minutes" doesn't logically describe a time limit for finishing a task. Study tip: Remember this pattern — use within when something must be done before a time limit expires (within an hour, within two days). Use during only when describing background time, not deadlines.

Question 5

A teacher asks students to correct the following sentence: 'Prices for groceries rose during the country last year, affecting families in rural and urban areas alike.' What is the error, and what is the correct revision?

  1. The error is 'during the country' — 'during' requires a time-period noun, not a place; the correct preposition is 'across the country,' which expresses geographic coverage and distribution throughout every part of the nation. (correct answer)
  2. The error is the word 'rose' — it should be 'raised' because 'raise' is the correct verb for describing prices that increase; the preposition 'during' is used correctly with 'the country' as its object.
  3. The error is 'during the country' — 'during' requires a time-period noun, not a place; the correct preposition is 'toward the country,' which shows the price increases were moving in the direction of rural and urban areas across the nation.
  4. The error is 'during the country' — 'during' requires a time-period noun, not a place; the correct preposition is 'within the country,' which shows the price increases were contained inside national borders and distributed among all regions domestically.
Explanation: When you see a sentence with a preposition that feels off, ask yourself: what kind of noun does this preposition typically require? That's exactly what this question tests — understanding how prepositions work with specific noun types. The word "during" always pairs with a time-period noun: during the storm, during last year, during the pandemic. In the original sentence, "during the country" pairs "during" with a place noun, which breaks that rule entirely. The sentence needs a preposition that expresses geographic spread — the idea that prices rose everywhere throughout the nation. That's precisely what "across" does. "Across the country" means throughout every part of the nation, from region to region, which also connects logically to the sentence's ending about "rural and urban areas alike." Answer A is correct. Answer B is wrong on two counts. First, "rose" is actually correct — "rise" is an intransitive verb (it doesn't take a direct object), and prices rise on their own. "Raise" is transitive and requires an object (someone raises prices). Second, B incorrectly claims "during the country" is acceptable, which it is not. Answer C is wrong because "toward the country" expresses direction or movement toward a destination, not geographic distribution. Prices don't travel toward a country — they spread across it. Answer D is wrong because "within the country" emphasizes something being contained inside borders, which sounds bureaucratic and unnatural here. It doesn't capture the sense of widespread distribution the sentence needs. Study tip: Memorize that "during" = time, "across" = geographic spread, and "within" = containment. Preposition questions often swap these subtly to test whether you notice the mismatch.

Question 6

An email from a job supervisor reads: 'Please be aware that all reports must be submitted by Friday. I expect everyone to make progress on their assigned tasks. Remember, we are moving in a positive direction as a team, and I am confident we will reach our goals.'

The supervisor later revises one sentence to read: 'We are moving   our goals as a team.' Which preposition correctly fills the blank to match the supervisor's intended meaning of direction and progress?

  1. across our goals, because the team is covering the full range of their goals from start to finish during this work period
  2. during our goals, because the team is making progress while the goals are currently active and being worked on
  3. toward our goals, because the team is oriented in the direction of the goals and moving closer to achieving them over time (correct answer)
  4. within our goals, because the team is staying inside the boundaries of what the goals require and not going beyond them
Explanation: When choosing a preposition, ask yourself: what relationship does it show between two things? In this sentence, the team and its goals have a relationship of movement and direction — the team is getting closer to something not yet reached. That's the key idea to hold onto. The word "toward" expresses movement in the direction of a destination that hasn't been arrived at yet. Choice C — toward our goals — perfectly captures the supervisor's original message that the team is "moving in a positive direction" and will eventually "reach" those goals. Notice that "reach" implies the goals are still ahead, which confirms that "toward" is the right fit. Choice A uses "across," which suggests traveling over a surface or covering a wide area from one side to the other — like moving across a field. That describes range or distance, not directional progress toward a target. Choice B uses "during," which is a time preposition, not a direction preposition. You use "during" to say something happens within a period of time (during the meeting, during the week) — it cannot show movement toward a goal. Choice D uses "within," which places something inside boundaries — like staying within a budget. It describes location or limits, not forward movement or progress. A helpful strategy: when a sentence involves movement toward something not yet achieved, "toward" is almost always your preposition. Watch for context clues like "reach," "achieve," or "progress" — they signal that a goal is still ahead, and "toward" is the word that points in that direction.

Question 7

The community center offers free English classes every Tuesday and Thursday evening. The director announced that enrollment must be completed no later than the end of the first week of classes. Students who sign up after that deadline will have to wait for the next session.

A student wants to write a sentence using the correct preposition: 'You must enroll   the first week, or you will have to wait.' Which option uses the preposition correctly AND matches the director's announcement?

  1. during the first week — meaning enrollment can happen at any point in that time period, which describes when enrollment occurs but does not express a deadline or cutoff by the end of the week
  2. within the first week — meaning enrollment must be completed before the end of that seven-day period, which matches the director's deadline (correct answer)
  3. across the first week — meaning enrollment is spread out and available throughout every part of the week, emphasizing coverage rather than a time-bound limit
  4. toward the first week — meaning enrollment should happen as the first week approaches, so students must sign up before classes even begin
Explanation: When choosing prepositions related to time, ask yourself: does this word express when something happens, or by when it must be finished? That distinction is the key to this question, because the director isn't just describing a time period — she's setting a deadline. The word within signals that something must be completed before a boundary is reached. "Within the first week" tells you the action must be done before that week ends — exactly what the director announced. That makes B the correct choice, because it captures both the timing and the cutoff. A is tempting but slightly off. During simply describes when something takes place, without implying any deadline or limit. Saying "enroll during the first week" suggests enrollment is available throughout that week, but it doesn't communicate that the opportunity closes at the end of it. It describes a window without closing it. C uses across, which emphasizes coverage or distribution — something spread over an entire surface or span. It's more naturally used with physical space or abstract categories (e.g., "schools across the country"), not time-bound requirements. It carries no sense of urgency or cutoff. D uses toward, which implies movement in the direction of something, or approaching it. "Toward the first week" suggests acting before class even starts, which actually contradicts the passage — enrollment happens during the first week, not before it. A useful tip: when you see deadline language like "no later than," look for within or by — these are the prepositions that carry the meaning of a firm cutoff.

Question 8

A student writes this sentence in an essay: 'Unemployment rates dropped significantly   all regions of the country after the new policy was introduced.' The student wants to express that the drop happened in every part of the country — not just in one place. Which preposition correctly completes the sentence?

  1. within all regions — to show that the unemployment drop was contained inside the limits of those regions and did not extend beyond each area's defined boundaries
  2. during all regions — to show that the unemployment drop occurred while each region was actively experiencing the effects of the new policy over time
  3. toward all regions — to show that the policy was aimed in the direction of every region and intended to eventually reach them all as implementation continued
  4. across all regions — to show that the unemployment drop occurred throughout every part of the country, covering the full geographic extent from one region to another (correct answer)
Explanation: When choosing a preposition to describe something happening in every part of a geographic area, you need to think about coverage — which preposition best signals that something spread through the full extent of a space, not just inside one boundary or in one direction. The word across (choice D) is the right fit here because it conveys movement or distribution throughout a wide area, from one end to another. "Across all regions" tells your reader that every region was included — the drop wasn't limited to one place but covered the entire country. This is exactly what the sentence needs to express. Choice A, within, is a close trap because it sounds geographic, but "within" means inside the limits of something — it implies containment in a single defined space, not distribution across multiple areas. Saying "within all regions" is actually contradictory and awkward. Choice B, during, is a time preposition, not a place preposition. "During" tells you when something happened, not where. Regions are locations, not time periods, so "during all regions" makes no logical sense. Choice C, toward, expresses direction or movement aimed at a destination — but it implies the goal hasn't fully been reached yet. "Toward all regions" suggests the policy was heading there, not that the drop actually happened everywhere. A good study tip: when a sentence describes something happening everywhere across a geographic area, across is almost always your best preposition. Think of it as drawing a line from one side to the other — it covers everything in between.

Question 9

A health clinic newsletter includes the following paragraph: 'Our new wellness program has shown great results. Patient satisfaction scores have improved in every department. Staff members have been encouraged to attend at least one training session per month. The clinic director believes that with continued effort, the clinic will achieve its five-year health outcome targets.'

A staff member is summarizing the newsletter for a colleague who missed it. She says: 'The director thinks the clinic is moving   its five-year targets, and satisfaction has improved   all departments.' Which pair of prepositions correctly completes her summary?

  1. within / during — because 'within' shows progress inside the target boundaries and 'during' shows the improvement happened while all departments were functioning
  2. toward / across — because 'toward' shows directional progress toward a future goal and 'across' shows coverage throughout all departments (correct answer)
  3. across / toward — because 'across' describes the clinic's movement in the direction of targets and 'toward' describes how improvement spread through departments
  4. during / within — because 'during' describes the time frame of reaching targets and 'within' shows the improvement was contained to departmental boundaries
Explanation: When choosing prepositions, always ask two questions: What relationship does this word express? and Does it match the meaning of the original text? This question tests whether you can match prepositions to their precise functions — direction versus coverage. The original newsletter says the clinic will "achieve its five-year targets" through "continued effort," and that satisfaction improved "in every department." The staff member's summary needs to capture both ideas accurately. B is correct because "toward" expresses directional movement — progress heading in the direction of a future goal without yet reaching it. This perfectly mirrors "with continued effort, the clinic will achieve" (still in progress). "Across" expresses spread or coverage throughout a range — it signals that improvement touched every department, matching "every department" in the original. Answer A fails because "within" suggests the clinic is already operating inside the boundaries of its targets (as if they're already met), and "during" describes a time period, not department-wide coverage. Neither fits the meaning. Answer C reverses the two correct prepositions — "across" does not describe movement toward a goal, and "toward" does not describe how improvement spread through departments. Swapping them creates the wrong meaning for both blanks. Answer D uses "during" to describe target progress and "within" to describe departmental coverage, but "during" marks a time frame (not directional movement), and "within" suggests containment rather than spread. A useful tip: when you see a goal or destination that hasn't been reached yet, "toward" is almost always your signal word. When you see multiple locations, groups, or departments covered, think "across."

Question 10

Which sentence contains an error in preposition use that changes the intended meaning in a significant way?

  1. 'The student showed steady improvement across all four skill areas on the language assessment, scoring higher in every category than before.'
  2. 'The volunteers worked tirelessly during the three-day flood relief effort, distributing supplies and helping families find shelter throughout the event.'
  3. 'The new policy requires all employees to complete safety training within thirty days of their start date, or they will be placed on administrative hold.'
  4. 'The community is slowly moving during a greater understanding of digital literacy, as more residents attend the free technology workshops each month.' (correct answer)
Explanation: When a preposition is misused, it can quietly break the logic of a sentence — sometimes in ways that are easy to miss on a first read. Your job here is to find the sentence where the wrong preposition doesn't just sound a little awkward, but actually distorts the meaning in a significant way. Look closely at choice D: "The community is slowly moving during a greater understanding of digital literacy." The preposition during signals that something is happening within a period of time — for example, "during the storm" or "during the meeting." But the sentence is trying to say the community is progressing toward something. The correct preposition would be toward, which expresses movement or progress in a direction. Using during makes the sentence grammatically confusing and meaningfully incorrect — it suggests the movement is happening inside an understanding, which doesn't make logical sense. D is your answer. The other sentences all use prepositions correctly. In A, across (covering multiple areas), on (referring to an assessment), and in (within a category) all fit naturally. In B, during is used correctly because volunteers worked within a specific time period — the three-day event. In C, within and of work together logically to express a deadline relative to a start date. Notice that during appears correctly in B and incorrectly in D — this is a classic trap. The same word can be right in one context and wrong in another. Your strategy: always ask yourself, does this preposition match the relationship being described — time, place, or direction? That question alone will catch most preposition errors.