If you plan to pass the Philippine Civil Service Exam, then understanding prepositions holds paramount significance. A preposition serves as a linguistic bridge, connecting nouns, pronouns, or noun phrases to denote direction, time, place, location, spatial relationships, or to introduce objects. Words such as “in,” “at,” “on,” “of,” and “to” exemplify this crucial grammatical function.
Prepositions wield substantial idiomatic weight in English. While certain rules govern their usage, a significant portion of preposition usage hinges on fixed expressions. Consequently, committing these phrases to memory proves more beneficial than attempting to decipher individual prepositions. Having an adequate knowledge about prepositions will help you have an easier time passing the Civil Service Exam in just one take.
Prepositions of Location
To refer to a location, use the prepositions “in” (an area or volume), “at” (a point), and “on” (a surface).
- There is a lot of crumbs on the table. (a surface)
- Elsa will find Hans at the castle. (a point)
- They live in the country. (an area)
Prepositions of Direction
To refer to a direction, use the prepositions “to,” “in,” “into,” “on,” and “onto.”
- Drive on(to) the pavement and park the truck there.
- Don’t bother ringing the doorbell. Come right in(to) the apartment.
- Aldrin drove to the gasoline station.
Prepositions of Place
To refer to a place, use the prepositions “on” (the surface), “inside” (something contained), “in” (the point itself), and “at” (the general vicinity).
- Claudio left his phone on the countertop.
- Place the pencil inside the bag.
- The entire team will meet in the conference room.
- Heidi was waiting at the corner.
To refer to an object lower than a point, use the prepositions “below,” “beneath,” “under,” and “underneath.” To refer to an object higher than a point, use the prepositions “over” and “above.”
- The duck is hiding underneath the box.
- There is concrete cement beneath the carpet.
- The ants hid the grains under a pile of rocks.
- Tunnels are dug below ground.
- The eagle flew over the pigeon’s nest.
- The bottles were on the shelf above the plates.
To refer to an object close to a point, use the prepositions “opposite,” “among,” “between,” “next to,” “near,” and “by.”
- The basketball court is opposite the city hall.
- There is a pink flower among the grass.
- There is a moose between the two boulders.
- Park your motorcycle next to the van.
- The arcade is near Melanie’s house.
- The hardware store is by the wet market.
Prepositions of Time
To refer to one point in time, use the prepositions “in,” “at,” and “on.”
Use “in” with parts of the day (not specific times), months, years, and seasons.
-
-
- Rico reads the newspaper in the evening.
- The weather is humid in April.
- Riyona was born in 1988.
- Jessica rakes leaves in the fall.
Use “at” with the time of day. Also use “at” with noon, night, and midnight.
-
-
- Sheila goes to work at 9:00 a.m.
- Jericho eats lunch at noon.
- Maica often goes for a walk at night.
- They go to bed at midnight.
Use “on” with days.
-
-
- I don’t work on Sundays.
- She does laundry on Fridays.
To refer to extended time, use the prepositions “within,” “with,” “from…until,” “from…to,” “during,” “by,” “for, “ and “since.”
- Hanna will graduate within 3 years. (Not longer than 3 years.)
- The kids are in school from May until April. (Starting in May and ending in April the next year.)
- Danica will collect data from February to July. (Starting in February and ending in July).
- Edwin works part time during the summer. (For the period of time throughout the summer).
- Arnel will finish his homework by 5:30 p.m. (He will finish his homework sometime between now and 5:30 p.m.)
- Susie will be in Japan for 2 weeks. (She will spend 2 weeks in Japan.)
- I have lived in Minneapolis since 2005. (I moved there in 2005 and still live there.)
Prepositions of Spatial Relationships
To refer to a spatial relationship, use the prepositions “above,” “across,” “against,” “ahead of,” “along,” “among,” “around,” “behind,” “below,” “beneath,” “beside,” “between,” “from,” “in front of,” “inside,” “near,” “off,” “out of,” “through,” “toward,” “under,” and “within.”
- The pharmacy is across the street from the hospital.
- The blue car is ahead of the other racers.
- The campers will stop at many attractions along the way.
- Keep this secret between you and me.
- The bear is hiding behind the tree.
- There are too many houses built along the railway track.
- Her shirt is off.
- Run toward the creek and then turn right.
- Place a check mark within the crate.
Civil Service Exam Preposition Basics Practice Test
Now that you’ve learned how to use prepositions, it’s time for a CSE Preposition Basics exercise! Take your time reading the sentences and choose the preposition that will correctly complete each sentences.
1. The cat is ____ the table.
- through
- in
- at
- on
- between
2. Sarah’s house is _____ the end of the street.
- in
- at
- on
- by
- to
3. The book is _____ the desk.
- in
- at
- on
- to
- with
4. The party starts _____ 7 o’clock.
- in
- at
- on
- by
- during
5. The school is _____ the library and the park.
- near
- between
- beside
- among
- around
6. The library is ____ the park
- at
- in
- by
- between
- under
7. The theater is _____ the mall and the zoo.
- among
- between
- above
- beside
- under
8. The keys are _____ the kitchen counter.
- on
- at
- over
- from
- with
9. We have a meeting _____ Monday morning.
- in
- on
- at
- during
- by
10. The post office is _____ the bank and the supermarket.
- inside
- over
- during
- with
- across from
11. The remote control is ____ the couch.
- between
- in
- by
- under
- over
12. The arcade is _____ the food court and the supermarket.
- around
- over
- beneath
- beyond
- along
13. The rabbit is _____ the bed.
- under
- between
- against
- towards
- to
14. The concert will last _____ 9 p.m.
- in
- on
- at
- until
- for
15. The museum is _____ the street from the hotel.
- by
- beside
- across
- between
- through
16. The restaurant is ____ the post office.
- on
- under
- over
- at
- opposite
17. The movie theater is _____ the street from the mall.
- on
- over
- through
- across
- into
18. The school is _____ the end of the street.
- at
- beside
- towards
- along
- through
19. She has been studying French _____ two hours.
- in
- at
- for
- by
- since
20. The dog jumped _____ the fence.
- through
- across
- over
- along
- against
21. The toddler ran ____ the door.
- in
- through
- at
- between
- over
22. The park is _____ the hospital.
- above
- against
- past
- toward
- behind
23. The store is open _____ 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.
- in
- on
- at
- during
- from
24. The bull charged _____ the barricade.
- against
- under
- from
- over
- through
25. The cafeteria is ________ the bookstore and the pharmacy.
- to
- by
- between
- towards
- upon
Once you are done answering these preposition questions, you can click or tap any of the social media buttons below to reveal the answers.
CSE Preposition Basics Answer Keys
Here are the correct answers to the questions in our Civil Service Exam Prepositions practice test.
1. d. on
Explanation: The sentence “The cat is on the table” indicates that the cat is positioned directly above the surface of the table.
- “Through” doesn’t make sense in this context because it implies movement from one side of the table to the other, which isn’t indicated in the sentence.
- “In” suggests that the cat is inside something, which doesn’t align with the sentence describing the cat’s location in relation to the table.
- “At” typically refers to a specific point or location, rather than indicating a position directly on top of something.
- “Between” implies that the cat is situated between two objects, which isn’t the case in the given sentence.
2. b. at
Explanation: “At” is the appropriate preposition to describe the location of Sarah’s house in relation to the end of the street. It indicates a specific point or position.
- “In” implies being inside a confined space, which doesn’t accurately describe the relationship between Sarah’s house and the end of the street.
- “On” typically refers to a surface, which doesn’t convey the intended relationship between Sarah’s house and the end of the street.
- “By” suggests proximity or nearness, but it doesn’t precisely convey the idea of being located directly at a particular point.
- “To” implies direction or movement towards something, rather than indicating the position of Sarah’s house in relation to the end of the street.
3. c. on
Explanation: “On” is the appropriate preposition to describe the position of the book in relation to the desk, indicating that it is resting directly on the surface of the desk.
- “In” typically indicates being inside something, which doesn’t accurately describe the relationship between the book and the desk.
- “At” suggests a specific point or location, rather than indicating the position of the book in relation to the desk.
- “To” indicates direction or movement towards something, which isn’t relevant in describing the book’s position relative to the desk.
- “With” indicates association or accompaniment, which doesn’t describe the spatial relationship between the book and the desk.
4. b. at
Explanation: “At” is used to specify a particular point in time, making it the appropriate preposition to describe when the party begins.
- “In” typically refers to a period of time within which something occurs, but it doesn’t precisely convey the specific starting time of the party.
- “On” usually denotes a specific date or day of the week, rather than a specific time of day.
- “By” indicates a deadline or a point in time before another event occurs, which isn’t relevant to specifying the starting time of the party.
- “During” is used to describe something that happens throughout the entirety of a period of time, rather than specifying a single point in time when the party begins.
5. b. between
Explanation: “Between” is the appropriate preposition to describe the school’s position in relation to the library and the park, indicating that it is located in the space separating these two landmarks.
- “Near” suggests proximity, but it doesn’t convey the specific relationship of the school being positioned between the library and the park.
- “Beside” indicates being next to something, which doesn’t accurately describe the relationship between the school, library, and park in this context.
- “Among” implies being part of a group or surrounded by multiple objects, which doesn’t precisely convey the idea of the school being situated between two specific locations.
- “Around” typically denotes being in the vicinity of something, rather than specifying the school’s position relative to the library and the park.
6. c. by
Explanation: “By” indicates proximity or nearness, suggesting that the library is positioned close to the park. Since no other specific location is mentioned, “by” implies that the library is nearby the park without necessarily being directly between any other location.
- “At” typically indicates a specific point or location, rather than conveying the idea of proximity or being positioned near something. It doesn’t accurately describe the relationship between the library and the park.
- “In” suggests being inside something, which doesn’t accurately describe the relationship between the library and the park. It implies that the library is located within the boundaries of the park, which is not the intended meaning.
- “Between” is used to describe the position of an object in relation to two other objects, indicating that it is located in the space separating them. In this case, “between” implies that there is another object or location mentioned in the context, which isn’t provided in the question.
- “Under” implies being beneath something, which doesn’t accurately describe the spatial relationship between the library and the park. It suggests that the library is positioned beneath the park, which is not the intended meaning.
7. b. between
Explanation: “Between” is the appropriate preposition to describe the position of the theater in relation to the mall and the zoo, indicating that it is located in the space separating these two landmarks.
- “Among” implies being part of a group or surrounded by multiple objects, which doesn’t precisely convey the idea of the theater being situated between two specific locations.
- “Above” suggests being positioned at a higher elevation, which doesn’t accurately describe the spatial relationship between the theater, mall, and zoo.
- “Beside” indicates being next to something, which doesn’t accurately describe the relationship between the theater, mall, and zoo in this context.
- “Under” implies being beneath something, which doesn’t accurately describe the spatial relationship between the theater, mall, and zoo.
8. a. on
Explanation: “On” is the appropriate preposition to describe the position of the keys in relation to the kitchen counter, indicating that they are resting directly on its surface.
- “At” typically indicates a specific point or location, rather than describing the keys’ position in relation to the kitchen counter.
- “Over” suggests being positioned above something, which doesn’t accurately describe the spatial relationship between the keys and the kitchen counter.
- “From” indicates origin or source, which isn’t relevant in describing the position of the keys relative to the kitchen counter.
- “With” indicates association or accompaniment, which doesn’t describe the spatial relationship between the keys and the kitchen counter.
9. b. on
Explanation: “On” is used to specify a particular day or date, making it the appropriate preposition to describe when the meeting will take place.
- “In” typically refers to a period of time within which something occurs, but it doesn’t precisely convey the specific day the meeting will happen.
- “At” is used for specifying a particular point in time, which might work with “at Monday morning,” but “on” is more commonly used for days and dates.
- “During” is used to describe something that happens throughout the entirety of a period of time, rather than specifying a single point in time.
- “By” indicates a deadline or a point in time before another event occurs, which isn’t relevant to specifying the timing of the meeting on Monday morning.
10. e. across from
Explanation: “Across from” is the appropriate preposition to describe the position of the post office in relation to the bank and the supermarket, indicating that it is located directly opposite them.
- “Inside” suggests being within something, like a building or structure, which doesn’t accurately describe the relationship between the post office, bank, and supermarket.
- “Over” suggests being positioned above something, which doesn’t accurately describe the spatial relationship between the post office, bank, and supermarket.
- “During” is used to describe something that happens throughout the entirety of a period of time, rather than specifying a position in relation to other objects.
- “With” indicates association or accompaniment, which doesn’t describe the spatial relationship between the post office, bank, and supermarket.
11. d. under
Explanation: “Under” is the appropriate preposition to describe the position of the remote control in relation to the couch, indicating that it is located beneath or beneath the cushions of the couch.
- “Between” suggests being positioned in the space separating two objects, which doesn’t accurately describe the relationship between the remote control and the couch.
- “In” typically indicates being inside something, like a container or enclosed space, which doesn’t accurately convey the relationship between the remote control and the couch.
- “By” suggests proximity or nearness, but it doesn’t convey the idea of the remote control being directly underneath the couch.
- “Over” indicates being positioned above something, which doesn’t accurately describe the spatial relationship between the remote control and the couch.
12. e. along
Explanation: The word “Along” implies that the arcade is positioned adjacent to, or running parallel with, the path between the food court and the supermarket.
- “Around” typically denotes being in the vicinity of something, rather than specifying the position of the arcade relative to the food court and the supermarket.
- “Over” suggests being positioned above something, which doesn’t accurately describe the spatial relationship between the arcade, food court, and supermarket.
- “Beneath” implies being beneath something, which doesn’t accurately describe the spatial relationship between the arcade, food court, and supermarket.
- “Beyond” indicates being further away or outside of a particular area, which doesn’t accurately describe the spatial relationship between the arcade, food court, and supermarket.
13. a. under
Explanation: “Under” is the appropriate preposition to describe the position of the rabbit in relation to the bed, indicating that it is located beneath the bed.
- “Between” suggests being positioned in the space separating two objects, which doesn’t accurately describe the relationship between the rabbit and the bed.
- “Against” indicates being in contact with something, typically in a resting or leaning position, which doesn’t accurately describe the spatial relationship between the rabbit and the bed.
- “Towards” indicates movement in the direction of something, rather than describing the position of the rabbit in relation to the bed.
- “To” suggests direction or movement towards something, rather than specifying the position of the rabbit in relation to the bed.
14. d. until
Explanation: “Until” is used to indicate the end point of an action or event, making it the appropriate preposition to describe when the concert will end in relation to 9 p.m.
- “In” typically refers to a period of time within which something occurs, but it doesn’t precisely convey the specific end time of the concert.
- “On” is used to specify a particular day or date, rather than indicating the end time of an event in relation to a specific time.
- “At” typically indicates a specific point or location, rather than describing the duration or end time of an event.
- “For” is used to indicate the duration of time during which something occurs, but it doesn’t convey the specific end time of the concert.
15. c. across
Explanation: “Across” is the appropriate preposition to describe the position of the museum in relation to the street from the hotel, indicating that it is located directly opposite the street.
- “By” typically indicates proximity or nearness, but it doesn’t convey the idea of being positioned directly opposite something.
- “Beside” indicates being next to something, which doesn’t accurately describe the relationship between the museum and the street from the hotel.
- “Between” suggests being positioned in the space separating two objects, which doesn’t accurately describe the relationship between the museum, the street, and the hotel.
- “Through” implies movement from one side of something to the other, which isn’t relevant in describing the position of the museum relative to the street and the hotel.
16. e. opposite
Explanation: “Opposite” is the appropriate preposition to describe the position of the restaurant in relation to the post office, indicating that it is located directly across from it.
- “On” typically indicates being positioned on top of something, which doesn’t accurately describe the spatial relationship between the restaurant and the post office.
- “Under” suggests being located beneath something, which doesn’t accurately describe the relationship between the restaurant and the post office.
- “Over” indicates being positioned above something, which doesn’t accurately describe the spatial relationship between the restaurant and the post office.
- “At” typically refers to a specific point or location, rather than describing the spatial relationship between two objects.
17. d. across
Explanation: “Across” is the appropriate preposition to describe the position of the movie theater in relation to the street from the mall, indicating that it is located directly opposite the street.
- “On” typically indicates being positioned on top of something, which doesn’t accurately describe the spatial relationship between the movie theater and the street.
- “Over” indicates being positioned above something, which doesn’t accurately describe the spatial relationship between the movie theater and the street.
- “Through” implies movement from one side of something to the other, which isn’t relevant in describing the position of the movie theater relative to the street and the mall.
- “Into” indicates movement towards the inside of something, which doesn’t accurately describe the spatial relationship between the movie theater and the street.
18. a. at
Explanation: “At” is the appropriate preposition to describe the position of the school in relation to the end of the street, indicating a specific point or location.
- “Beside” suggests being positioned next to something, which doesn’t accurately convey the idea of the school’s location in relation to the end of the street.
- “Towards” indicates movement in the direction of something, rather than specifying the school’s position in relation to the end of the street.
- “Along” suggests movement parallel to something, rather than specifying the school’s position in relation to the end of the street.
- “Through” implies movement from one side of something to the other, which isn’t relevant in describing the position of the school relative to the end of the street.
19. c. for
Explanation: “For” is used to indicate the duration of an action or activity, making it the appropriate preposition to describe the length of time for which she has been studying French.
- “In” typically refers to a period of time within which something occurs, but it doesn’t convey the specific duration of the action.
- “At” typically indicates a specific point or location, rather than specifying the duration of an action.
- “By” indicates a deadline or a point in time before another event occurs, which isn’t relevant to specifying the duration of studying French.
- “Since” is used to indicate a starting point in time, rather than specifying the duration of an action.
20. c. over
Explanation: “Over” is the appropriate preposition to describe the direction of the dog’s movement in relation to the fence, indicating that it jumped from one side of the fence to a position higher than the fence.
- “Through” implies movement from one side of an object to the other side, which isn’t necessary to describe the dog’s movement in this context.
- “Across” suggests movement from one side of an area or object to another, but it doesn’t specifically indicate jumping over an obstacle like a fence.
- “Along” suggests movement parallel to something, which isn’t relevant in describing the dog’s movement over the fence.
- “Against” typically indicates opposition or resistance, which doesn’t accurately describe the direction of the dog’s movement in relation to the fence.
21. b. through
Explanation: “Through” is the appropriate preposition to describe the direction of the toddler’s movement in relation to the door, indicating that the toddler moved from one side of the door to the other side, passing through it.
- “In” typically refers to being inside something, like a room or container, which doesn’t accurately describe the toddler’s movement in relation to the door.
- “At” typically indicates a specific point or location, rather than describing the direction of movement.
- “Between” suggests being positioned in the space separating two objects, which doesn’t accurately describe the toddler’s movement in relation to the door.
- “Over” typically indicates movement above something, which doesn’t accurately describe the toddler’s movement in relation to the door.
22. e. behind
Explanation: “Behind” is the appropriate preposition to describe the position of the park in relation to the hospital, indicating that the park is located at the back or rear of the hospital.
- “Above” typically indicates being positioned at a higher elevation, which doesn’t accurately describe the spatial relationship between the park and the hospital.
- “Against” typically indicates being in contact with something, which doesn’t accurately describe the spatial relationship between the park and the hospital.
- “Past” typically indicates movement beyond something, rather than describing the spatial relationship between two objects.
- “Toward” indicates movement in the direction of something, rather than specifying the position of the park in relation to the hospital.
23. e. from
Explanation: “From” is used to indicate the starting point of a time range or duration, making it the appropriate preposition to describe when the store is open, starting at 9 a.m.
- “In” typically refers to a period of time within which something occurs, but it doesn’t specify the starting point of the time range.
- “On” is used to specify a particular day or date, rather than indicating the starting time of a time range.
- “At” typically indicates a specific point or location, rather than describing the duration or starting time of an event.
- “During” is used to describe something that happens throughout the entirety of a period of time, rather than specifying the starting point of a time range.
24. e. through
Explanation: “Through” indicates that the bull forcefully broke through the barricade, making “through” the appropriate preposition to describe the bull’s movement in relation to the barricade.
- “Against” indicates being in contact with something, typically in a resting or leaning position, which doesn’t accurately describe the spatial relationship between the bull and the barricade.
- “Under” suggests being located beneath something, which doesn’t accurately describe the direction of movement in this context.
- “From” typically indicates origin or starting point, rather than describing the direction of movement in relation to the barricade.
- “Over” typically indicates movement above something, which doesn’t accurately describe the direction of movement in relation to the barricade.
25. c. between
Explanation: “Between” is the appropriate preposition to describe the position of the cafeteria in relation to the bookstore and the pharmacy, indicating that it is located in the space separating these two landmarks.
- “To” typically indicates direction or movement towards something, rather than describing the position of the cafeteria in relation to the bookstore and the pharmacy.
- “By” suggests proximity or nearness, but it doesn’t convey the idea of the cafeteria being directly positioned between the bookstore and the pharmacy.
- “Towards” indicates movement in the direction of something, rather than specifying the position of the cafeteria in relation to the bookstore and the pharmacy.
- “Upon” typically indicates being positioned on top of something, which doesn’t accurately describe the spatial relationship between the cafeteria, bookstore, and pharmacy.
I hope you got at least 22 correct answers in our Civil Service Exam Prepositions quiz. If you need more CSE Grammar practice tests, just tap or click on this awesome link.
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