4. Prepositions — Time, Place, Confusables & 90 Fixed Prepositions

🎯

CSS sets prepositions as fill-in-the-blanks ("He was acquitted ___ the charge") and as sentence-correction traps. The fixed list below is the highest-yield content on this page — learn it by writing one sentence per word.

1. Time

2. Place & Movement

3. 90 Fixed (Appropriate) Prepositions

4. No Preposition Needed (common Pakistani errors)

5. Exercise — Fill in the correct preposition (20)

1. He was acquitted ___ all charges.
2. She is proficient ___ three languages.
3. The accused was charged ___ fraud.
4. I am tired ___ his constant complaints.
5. He died ___ cholera.
6. This book is superior ___ that one.
7. They are divided ___ themselves.
8. You must comply ___ the rules.
9. He insisted ___ paying the bill.
10. She is married ___ an army officer.
11. Beware ___ pickpockets.
12. We should refrain ___ making hasty judgements.
13. He is blind ___ his son's faults.
14. The committee consists ___ seven members.
15. I congratulate you ___ your success.
16. He is indifferent ___ politics.
17. Please abide ___ the decision.
18. The meeting was presided ___ by the Chief Justice.
19. The house was divided ___ his three sons.
20. He has been ill ___ Monday.

• Key

  1 of · 2 in · 3 with · 4 of · 5 of · 6 to · 7 among · 8 with · 9 on · 10 to · 11 of · 12 from · 13 to · 14 of · 15 on · 16 to · 17 by · 18 over · 19 among · 20 since

---

📜 CSS Past Papers 2017–2026 — Prepositions Solved (Q5b, 5 marks)

🧭

Asked every year since 2017. 2017–2018 were MCQ (choose a/b/c/d); 2019 onward switched to open fill-in-the-blank. Trend: 2020–2023 = phrasal verbs and fixed idioms (went off, under the weather, up to something). 2024–2026 = academic adjective/verb collocations (predicated on, commensurate with, impervious to) and traps where no preposition is needed (2026: denied the charges, advise anyone). Rewrite the full sentence, and underline the preposition.

CSS 2017 — MCQ (choose a/b/c/d)

1. I cannot buy this car _ this price. (a) for (b) in (c) at (d) on → (c) at
2. Send these books _ my home address. (a) on (b) at (c) in (d) to → (d) to
3. Monkeys live _ trees. (a) in (b) at (c) upon (d) on → (a) in
4. I said it _ his face. (a) at (b) on (c) to (d) upon → (c) to
5. The manager _ the receipt of my letter promptly. (a) accepted (b) realized (c) recognized (d) acknowledged → (d) acknowledged
6. Most foreign students don't like American coffee, and __. (a) I don't too (b) either don't (c) neither don't I (d) neither do I → (d) neither do I
7. We__ take care of our parents when they are old. (a) could (b) would (c) might (d) ought to → (d) ought to
8. Yousaf __in the garden the whole of yesterday. (a) has dug (b) was digging (c) dug (d) had dug → (b) was digging

CSS 2018 — MCQ (choose a/b/c/d)

1. _ a Ford he has a Fiat car. (a) in (b) before (c) besides (d) despite → (d) despite
2. I saw him felling a big tree _ a hatchet. (a) with (b) through (c) by (d) at → (a) with
3. I must start _ dawn to reach the station in time. (a) on (b) at (c) by (d) after → (b) at
4. I have known him _ a long time. (a) since (b) from (c) for (d) over → (c) for
5. "Will you walk _ my parlour?" (a) in (b) to (c) by (d) into → (d) into
6. The public are cautioned __ pickpockets. (a) against (b) about (c) of (d) for → (a) against

CSS 2019 — fill in the blank (open)

1. What time do we arrive our destination? → at
2. We are flying some rough weather; please fasten your seat belts. → through
3. It is warming up; noon we should be able to go swimming. → by
4. My parents are not responsible my actions. → for
5. This pan is cooking omelettes. → for
6. poor attendance, this course is being cancelled. → Due to / Owing to
7. The police took the men in questioning. → for
8. The woman you gave the book is my aunt. → to

CSS 2020 — fill in the blank (open)

1. I was annoyed -------- him. → with
2. This train is bound ------- Gujrat. → for
3. The pistol went ------- by accident. → off
4. He kept ------- asking silly questions. → on
5. He was knocked ------- by the bus. → down
6. Do not meddle ------- my affairs. → in / with
7. The meeting was put -------- by the Chairman. → off
8. He rounded -------- his speech with a quote from Ghalib. → off

CSS 2021 — fill in the blank (open)

1. The knavish wolf was able__ convince the pig to let him __ his home. → to … into
2. I looked this word in the dictionary, but I still don't understand it. → up
3. I need to learn these verbs heart tomorrow. → by … by
4. The morgue is redolent___ the odor of deceased individuals. → of
5. He is cogitating___ some means of revenge. → on / upon
6. He was reticent___ do anything about the problem. → to
7. His body is impervious___ moisture. → to
8. Ahmad applied ___ the bank for a loan. → to

CSS 2022 — fill in the blank (open)

1. Despite regular practice he never seems to win ---------- tennis. → at
2. ---------- luck, we should be in Islamabad by 5 p.m. → With
3. He went ----------- his own accord: nobody forced him to go. → of
4. My husband brought me some flowers today. He must be ----------- something! → up to
5. My younger son tripped ------------ the cat and fell downstairs. → over
6. You look really ---------- the weather. Are you ill? → under
7. The car went ---------- the brow of the hill and was soon out of sight. → over
8. He told that his career was ---------- ruins because of pandemic. → in

CSS 2023 — fill in the blank (open)

1. The neighbours came my house to see what's going on in the house. → to / over
2. She sat _ the shade of the tree. → in
3. The moon does not shine _ its own light. → by
4. The burglar jumped __ the compound wall. → over
5. She entered __ an agreement with them. → into
6. I have been working hard __ arithmetic. → at
7. He got __ his bicycle. → on / off
8. It cannot be done __ offence. → without

CSS 2024 — fill in the blank (open)

1. His research is characterized ___ a deep understanding of genetic mutations. → by
2. The solution is contingent _ various factors. → on / upon
3. The experiment is predicated __ the assumption of uniform conditions. → on
4. The project is commensurate the skills of the research team. → with
5. The methodology is impervious __ external influences. → to
6. The discussion oscillated two main points. → between
7. His proposal hinges securing adequate funding. → on / upon
8. The model is contingent ___ accurate data inputs. → on / upon

CSS 2025 — fill in the blank (open)

1. The massive landslide tumbled ___ the valley below, blocking the river and causing widespread flooding that destroyed crops and habitats. → into
2. The controversy surrounding arranged marriages raged __ the Pakistani community, with some arguing that it was a vital part of their cultural heritage, while others saw it as a form of oppression. → through / within
3. As she read the poem, the subtle symbolism and metaphors whispered ___ the surface of the words, awakening a depth of emotion within her. → beneath / below
4. The concept of Tawhid, or the oneness of God, lies ___ the very fabric of Islamic theology, weaving together the intricate threads of faith, reason, and spirituality. → within (or at the heart of)
5. As social media scrolled endlessly ___ her daily life, her attention span shriveled, leaving her with a perpetual sense of distraction. → through
6. Power consolidated ___ the ruling elite, silencing dissent. → among / within
7. Her online persona leaned ___ perfection, hiding flaws. → towards
8. Themes of love, loss, and longing wove ___ Ghalib's verses, creating a rich tapestry of emotion. → through

CSS 2026 — fill in the blank (open)

1. Nobody is certain _ the future but some are convinced ___ the past. → about/of … of
2. He was familiar _ the author but not knowledgeable in depth him. → with … about
3. After weighing all the options we decided to plump the first design. → up … for
4. The accused declared that he had no credible motive__ revenge and denied __ the charges. → for … (no preposition — "denied" is transitive)
5. The party's withdrawal _ the elections was widely seen as an obstacle the success of the peace plan. → from … to
6. They agreed to cooperate police these matters. → with … on/in
7. I don't advise _ anyone, I just listen _ their complaints. → (no preposition — "advise" is transitive) … to
8. The landscape_ the Pampas is in places similar the Dutch landscape. → of … to

➕ Gap-filler: Academic Collocations the Recent Papers Favour

🧩

The 90-preposition list above covers everyday verbs. Recent papers use formal, research-style adjectives. Learn these 30 as fixed pairs.

Never-a-preposition traps seen in papers: deny (the charges) · advise (someone) · reach · visit · enter · discuss · contact · resemble · marry.