Prepositions Exercise

English language comprehension | prepositions

Six prepositions are missing from the given text. From the options select the cluster of prepositions which are in the order of blanks as they appear in the text.

Technical training in the United States has a rich and interesting history. ………………….. centuries in Europe, crafts guilds had allowed master craftsmen to pass their trade ……………………….. their apprentices, and the Europeans who settled in North America brought the apprenticeship system ………………… them. But as the colonies lacked the strong guild associations ………………….. Europe, apprenticeships came to be administered …………………… municipal authorities. Later the apprentice system was replaced ………………………….. the school system.

a) for, to, with, of, by, by

b) since, to, with, of, by, with

c) since, for, with, of, by, by

d) for, to, with, of, of, by

Solution

Option (a)

Explanations

Option (a)

All the prepositions in this group are correctly used. For indicates duration and hence it is correctly used here. We pass something to somebody and hence the preposition to is also correctly used.

Option (b)

Since is incorrectly used. It is used to say when something begins. For example, you can say since AD 1640 or since the 18th century. But you can’t say since centuries. The last preposition in the series with is also incorrectly used. We can replace A with B or A can be replaced by B. In the passive voice, the preposition by is used with replace.

Option (c)

The prepositions since and for are incorrectly used here. We pass something to someone. Pass for means ‘be accepted as’.

Option (d)

The fifth preposition in the series (of) is incorrectly used. The sentence is in the passive voice and requires the preposition by.