Ex4: Complete this letter by writing a preposition in each space.

Dear Jodi,

Sorry I haven’t been (1) ____________ touch (2) ____________ you for such a long time, but it’s been a busy few months.

Earlier this year, I heard that my great-aunt had died. Apart (3) ____________  seeing her a couple of times at my parents’ house, I didn’t really know her. So you can imagine my surprise when I found (4) ____________ she had left me a cottage along (5) ____________ some money in her will!

When I saw the cottage, I just fell in love with it. It’s close (6) ____________ a beautiful little village, and looks out (7) ____________ the sea. My great-aunt used it as a holiday home, and I’ve decided to do the same. Unfortunately, it has been badly looked (8) ____________ , so I’ve had to spend most weekends this year sorting the place (9) ____________ .

I knew it was (10) ____________ need (11) ____________ some work, and at first I thought I could get away (12) ____________ giving it a quick coat of paint. But I soon realised it was a much bigger job. There were holes in the roof, and the window frames were so rotten some of the panes of glass were (13) ____________ danger (14) ____________ falling out.

I was walking around the village one Saturday, wondering what best to do, when who should I run (15) ____________ but Barney Adams. Do you remember him from school? As luck would have it, he now works in the village as a builder and decorator. We got talking, and he said he’d come (16) ____________ and look (17) ____________ the house. Naturally, I took him up (18) ____________ his offer! He got really enthusiastic about it. He talked me (19) ____________ replacing all the windows, and he has put in a new central heating system (20) ____________ place (21) ____________ the old coal fires. I’ve had to prevent him (22) ____________ extending the kitchen, which he was keen to do! He has checked the roof (23) ____________ , and fortunately that doesn’t need replacing. Thanks (24) ____________ Barney, the house is now looking brilliant, and (25) ____________ comparison (26) ____________ other builders, he doesn’t charge very much.

The next project for me is to clean (27) ____________ the mess in the garden, as it’s completely overgrown. If you want to come (28) ____________ and help me (29) ____________ some time, feel free! You’ll always be very welcome.

Love,
Emily

Read these extracts from newspaper and magazine articles. Choose one phrase from each of the pairs in the box to complete the sentences.

1. An enquiry into last year’s explosion at the Amcon Refinery that killed 25 workers concluded that it ________________ if the refinery had installed a hazard warning system, as safety officers had recommended.
2. Mr Rosi will return to court on 31 January to hear his sentence, having been warned yesterday that he ________________ a long period in prison.
3. There is some evidence to suggest that Jon Ricci ________________ as a secret agent during the 1960s, although even after the end of the Cold War this was never confirmed.
4. Mateusz Weber, chief executive of the Schools Examination Authority, said: "The newspapers claim that the improving results show that exams ________________ . But we are absolutely certain that standards have remained the same."
5. Messi ________________ them the lead just before half time, but he shot straight at the goalkeeper, who made an easy save.
6. For centuries the flooding of the Nile was very important because, without it, the people ________________ crops in the dry desert. But global warming has changed the traditional patterns of agriculture in this part of the world.

Ex4: Match these adverbs and adjectives to make appropriate collocations and use them to complete the sentences below.

EXAMPLE: It was supposed to be a serious documentary programme, but the chatty approach was awful and made it utterly banal.

a. It is _________________ whether these goals can be achieved within the time available.
b. A book this old in such good condition is a _________________ find these days.
c. The research they based on a so-called ‘random’ sample of couples turned out to be _________________ in fact.
d. The test was _________________ : it looked much easier than it really was.
e. It was _________________ to everyone, except it seemed to the manager herself, that the new proposals would not work.
f. The 20th century saw many national institutions __________________ .
g. £25 is _________________ for something that normally costs £250 – there must be something wrong with it.

C. Choose the word or phrase that best completes the sentence.

1. The studio ................ to release the film in August but they postponed it because of the political situation.
   a. was about to plan
   b. used to plan
   c. will have planned
   d. would plan

2. Before there were railways, ordinary people ................ for pleasure.
   a. were rarely travelling
   b. were used to travel rarely
   c. were going to travel rarely
   d. would rarely travel

3. "How will you afford driving lessons?"
    "Well, I ................ you and Dad could lend me the money."
   a. would hope
   b. have hoped
   c. was hoping
   d. had been hoping

4. The police arrived just as the thieves ................ the bank.
   a. going to leave
   b. would leave
   c. had been leaving
   d. were about to leave