Prepositions, prepositional phrases and compound prepositions (Q5 B)

Class 12 English, unit 6

Practise 89 MCQs Take the unit quiz Review 17 cards

Prepositions are small words such as on, between, in front of and because of that show how a noun is related to the rest of the sentence in place, time, direction or reason. They are tested in Section A MCQs (kinds of prepositions, compound prepositions, prepositional phrases) and in Q5 B, where six blanks in a paragraph must be filled from a box of prepositional phrases and compound prepositions. This unit explains every kind, settles what FBISE means by a compound preposition, lists 73 phrase prepositions and 88 fixed prepositions, and teaches a step-by-step method for Q5 B with every 2026 and model-paper item solved.

Learning outcomes (6)

Identify and use compound prepositions and prepositional phrases in writing (SLO E-12-C2-03).
Identify and use adjectival, prepositional and adverbial phrases in reading and writing tasks (SLO E-12-C1-03).
Demonstrate knowledge and application of parts of speech in oral and written communication (SLO E-12-C2-01).
Classify prepositions as simple, double, compound, phrase and participial, and answer FBISE MCQs on them.
Choose the correct preposition of time, place, position and movement, and the fixed preposition after verbs, adjectives and nouns.
Fill a Q5 B paragraph from a box, using each phrase once, with a reason for every choice.

What a preposition isOften examined

Look at these two sentences: The ball is under the table. The ball is on the table. Only one small word has changed, but the picture in your mind is different. Words like under and on are prepositions. They show how one thing is related to another in place, time, direction, reason or manner.

Preposition: A word (or a group of words) placed before a noun or pronoun to show its relation to another word in the sentence. Pre means before and position means place: a preposition is placed before its object.
Object of the preposition: The noun, pronoun or gerund (-ing noun) that comes after the preposition. In She sat beside her mother, the object of beside is her mother.
Prepositional phrase: The preposition + its object + any words that describe the object. on the old wooden table, in front of the gate, because of the heavy rain.

The preposition links its object to another word in the sentence.
Sentence	Preposition	Object	Relation shown
The keys are in the drawer.	in	the drawer	place
We will meet after the exam.	after	the exam	time
He ran towards the gate.	towards	the gate	direction
The match was stopped because of rain.	because of	rain	reason
She cut the cake with a knife.	with	a knife	instrument (tool)
This gift is for you.	for	you	purpose / receiver
The roof of the house leaks.	of	the house	possession / belonging

What a prepositional phrase does in a sentence

A prepositional phrase never stands alone as a sentence. It does the job of an adjective or an adverb.

Job	Question it answers	Example (phrase in bold)
Adjective phrase (describes a noun)	Which one? What kind?	The boy with the blue cap is my brother. The book on the shelf is mine.
Adverb phrase (describes a verb)	Where? When? How? Why?	The dog ran across the field. She sang during the show. He worked with dedication.

Three rules about the object

A pronoun after a preposition is in the object form: between you and me (not I), for him and her, like us.
A verb after a preposition takes -ing (a gerund): good at swimming, interested in joining, instead of going, without saying goodbye. This includes the preposition to in look forward to meeting, used to living, object to paying, with a view to improving.
A preposition can end a sentence in questions and relative clauses: Who are you talking to? This is the house I was born in. This is correct English.

Preposition, adverb or conjunction?

The same word can be a different part of speech. Decide by what comes after it.

Word	Preposition (has an object)	Adverb (no object)	Conjunction (joins a clause)
in	She is in the room.	Please come in.	(not used)
down	He ran down the hill.	Sit down.	(not used)
before	Come before 9 o'clock.	I have seen him before.	Wash your hands before you eat.
after	We left after lunch.	He came soon after.	We left after the match ended.
since	I have lived here since 2020.	I have not seen him since.	Since it was raining, we stayed home.
for	This is for you.	(not used)	He was tired, for he had worked all day.

Kinds of prepositionsOften examined

Grammar books sort prepositions by their form (how they are made). The classification most Pakistani teachers use comes from Wren and Martin's High School English Grammar and Composition. Learn all five kinds; FBISE's model paper gave the labels simple, double, compound, participial as MCQ options.

Kind	How it is made	Examples	Sentence
1. Simple	One short word	at, by, for, from, in, of, off, on, out, through, till, to, up, with, down, since, near, like	The book is on the table.
2. Double	Two simple prepositions joined, written as one word or two	into, onto, upon, within, without, throughout, out of, from behind, from under, from among, from beneath, till after	The cat came out from behind the sofa.
3. Compound (traditional meaning)	One word made by adding a- (= on) or be- (= by) to a noun, adjective or adverb	about, above, across, along, amid, among, around, before, behind, below, beneath, beside, besides, between, beyond, inside, outside, underneath	They walked across the bridge.
4. Phrase (complex) prepositions	A group of two or three words that works as one preposition	in front of, because of, in spite of, instead of, according to, on behalf of, by means of, next to, due to, out of	She stood in front of the mirror.
5. Participial	A present participle (-ing form) or past participle used as a preposition	considering, regarding, concerning, during, pending, notwithstanding, barring, including, following, given	He asked questions concerning the exam.

Double prepositions

A double preposition is two prepositions used together. Some are written as one word (in + to = into, on + to = onto, up + on = upon, with + in = within). Others stay as two words (from behind, from under, from among, out of).

The rabbit jumped into the hole. (movement from outside to inside)
The cat leapt onto the wall. (movement to a surface)
Once upon a time there lived a king.
The boy stepped out from behind the curtain.
She was chosen from among forty candidates.
Finish the task within an hour.

Compound prepositions (traditional meaning)

In Wren and Martin, a compound preposition is a single word formed by putting a (meaning on) or be (meaning by) before another word: a + cross = across, a + long = along, be + side = beside, be + tween = between, be + neath = beneath, be + fore = before, be + hind = behind, be + low = below, be + yond = beyond. Words like inside, outside, underneath, within, without are also listed here.

We walked along the canal.
The school is beside the park.
Divide the mangoes between the two brothers.
The pipes run beneath the road.
There is a lovely valley beyond the hills.

Phrase prepositions

A phrase preposition (also called a complex preposition or group preposition) is a group of words that together do the work of one preposition: in front of = before, because of = for the reason of, instead of = in place of, in spite of = despite. You cannot remove one word without breaking the meaning. Section Phrase (compound) prepositions: 73 with meanings gives a full list.

Participial prepositions

Some participles (-ing and -ed forms of verbs) are used as prepositions. They have an object but no subject of their own: Considering his age, he plays very well. The most common ones are considering, regarding, concerning, during, pending. See the section on participial prepositions.

What FBISE means by "compound preposition"Often examined

This is the most important section of the unit, because the same term means two different things in different books, and FBISE uses it in both Section A (MCQs) and Section C (Q5 B).

Book / source	What it calls a compound preposition	Examples
Wren and Martin (traditional)	A one-word preposition made with a- or be-	across, along, beside, between, beneath, behind, below
Many modern grammars and teaching sites	A preposition of two or more words (Wren and Martin's phrase preposition)	in front of, because of, in spite of, next to, according to
FBISE Curriculum 2022-23 (model paper and 2026 papers)	The multi-word kind: a group of words used as one preposition	in spite of, because of, in front of, next to, on top of, at the edge of, away from, by the side of

The evidence from FBISE papers

Model paper, Q.1 (iv): Keep going in spite of the setbacks. The options were simple / double / compound / participial preposition. In spite of is three words, so it is not simple, double (two prepositions stuck together) or participial. The only answer is compound preposition. So FBISE calls a phrase preposition a compound preposition.
2026 Set D, Q.1 (8) and Set A, Q.1 (20): Which sentence correctly uses a compound preposition? The options were because of the storm, beside the river, across the field, under the table, near the door. If beside and across counted as compound (the traditional meaning), Set D would have three correct answers. The question works only with FBISE's meaning, so the answer is the sentence with because of.
Q5 B heading (model paper and all 2026 sets): Fill in the blanks with appropriate choice of prepositional phrases/compound prepositions. The boxes contain in front of, next to, on top of, at the edge of, away from, by the side of next to one-word prepositions such as on, inside, behind.
SLO E-12-C2-03: Identify and use compound prepositions and prepositional phrases in writing.

How to answer when the options differ

The question gives you...	Answer	Why
A multi-word preposition (in spite of, because of) with options simple / double / compound / participial	compound	FBISE model paper key; there is no phrase preposition option
A multi-word preposition with both compound and phrase preposition in the options	phrase preposition	A setter who lists both labels is using Wren and Martin's system, where in spite of is a phrase preposition
beside, across, between, below with options simple / double / compound / participial	compound	Wren and Martin: be + side, a + cross
into, onto, upon, from behind	double	Two prepositions joined
during, concerning, regarding, considering, pending	participial	They are -ing forms of verbs
Which sentence uses a compound preposition? with one multi-word option	the multi-word option	2026 Set D Q.1 (8) and Set A Q.1 (20)

Phrase (compound) prepositions: 73 with meaningsOften examined

These are the multi-word prepositions that FBISE calls compound prepositions. Learn the meaning of each, because Q5 B is solved by matching meanings to the sentence. They are in alphabetical order.

Phrase (compound) prepositions with meanings and examples.
Preposition	Meaning	Example sentence
according to	as stated by; in agreement with	According to the weather report, it will rain in Islamabad tonight.
ahead of	in front of; earlier than	Our class finished the project two days ahead of the deadline.
along with	together with	Ali came to the Eid prayer along with his father.
apart from	except for; also, in addition to	Apart from Hina, everyone passed the test.
as for	speaking about; concerning	As for the fees, you can pay them next week.
as per	according to (formal, office English)	As per the date sheet, the English paper is on Monday.
as far as	up to (a place)	We walked as far as the lake and then came back.
at the back of	behind	The library is at the back of the school building.
at the cost of	with the loss of	He finished the work at the cost of his health.
at the edge of	on the outer border of	The children sat at the edge of the pond.
at the end of	in the last part of	The results are announced at the end of the session.
at the foot of	at the bottom of (a hill, bed, page)	Their house is at the foot of the Margalla Hills.
at the top of	at the highest part of	Write your roll number at the top of the page.
away from	at a distance from; leaving	Keep medicines away from children.
because of	for the reason of; caused by	The match was stopped because of rain.
by dint of	by the force of (effort)	He topped the board by dint of hard work.
by means of	by using	The injured climber was lifted by means of a rope.
by the end of	not later than the end of	Submit your assignment by the end of the week.
by the side of	beside; next to	The old man sat by the side of the road.
by virtue of	because of (a quality or right)	She became captain by virtue of her experience.
by way of	as a form of; travelling through	We travelled to Murree by way of Rawalpindi.
close to	near	Our school is close to the Faisal Mosque.
due to	caused by (best after the verb be)	The delay was due to heavy fog.
except for	not including	The road was empty except for a few buses.
far from	a long way from	The village is far from the city.
for fear of	because of worry about	She spoke softly for fear of waking the baby.
for the sake of	for the good of	He gave up smoking for the sake of his children.
in accordance with	following (a rule or order)	The exam was held in accordance with FBISE rules.
in addition to	as well as; besides	In addition to English, she speaks Pashto and Urdu.
in case of	if something happens	In case of fire, use the stairs, not the lift.
in charge of	responsible for	Mr Aslam is in charge of the chemistry lab.
in comparison with	compared with	Karachi is humid in comparison with Quetta.
in favour of	supporting	Most students voted in favour of a trip to Naran.
in front of	facing; just before (a place)	A car was parked in front of our gate.
in keeping with	suitable to; matching	In keeping with tradition, we wore new clothes on Eid.
in lieu of	instead of (formal)	He was given a day off in lieu of overtime.
in place of	as a substitute for	Use honey in place of sugar.
in relation to	concerning; compared with	He asked questions in relation to the new budget.
in response to	as a reply to	In response to complaints, the canteen improved its food.
in search of	looking for	Many people move to cities in search of jobs.
in spite of	without being stopped by	In spite of the rain, the match continued.
in terms of	when we speak about	In terms of population, Karachi is the largest city of Pakistan.
in the course of	during	In the course of the lecture, the teacher told a funny story.
in the direction of	towards	The crowd moved in the direction of the stadium.
in the event of	if something happens (formal)	In the event of a tie, there will be a super over.
in the light of	considering (new facts)	In the light of the new rules, the timetable was changed.
in the middle of	at the centre of; while something is going on	There is a fountain in the middle of the park.
in the midst of	surrounded by; in the middle of	In the midst of the noise, she kept studying.
in the presence of	while someone is present	The prizes were given in the presence of the Principal.
in the wake of	following (usually something bad)	In the wake of the floods, food prices rose.
in view of	because of; considering	In view of the heat, schools closed early.
inside of	within (a time); informal for inside	The pizza arrived inside of twenty minutes.
instead of	in place of	Take the metro bus instead of a taxi.
next to	immediately beside	Sana sat next to her cousin at the wedding.
on account of	because of	The flight was cancelled on account of bad weather.
on behalf of	as the representative of	The head boy spoke on behalf of all the students.
on the basis of	using as the reason	Admission is given on the basis of merit.
on the eve of	on the evening or day before	On the eve of Eid, the bazaars were crowded.
on the part of	by; coming from	There was no mistake on the part of the umpire.
on the verge of	very near to	The snow leopard is on the verge of extinction in some areas.
on top of	on the upper surface of; in addition to	The trophy is on top of the cupboard.
opposite to	facing	The bank is opposite to the post office.
out of	from inside; from among; because of	She took a pen out of her bag.
owing to	because of	Owing to the strike, all shops were closed.
prior to	before (formal)	Switch off your phones prior to the exam.
regardless of	without caring about	Everyone must obey the law regardless of rank.
thanks to	because of (for a good result)	Thanks to his hard work, he got an A grade.
up to	as far as; until; as many as	The flood water came up to our knees.
with a view to	with the aim of (followed by -ing)	He joined the academy with a view to improving his English.
with reference to	about (used in letters)	With reference to your letter, I am pleased to inform you that you have been selected.
with regard to	concerning	With regard to your request, the answer is yes.
with respect to	concerning	With respect to fees, please contact the office.
with the exception of	except	With the exception of Ahmed, all the players were fit.

Groups by meaning (useful for Q5 B)

Meaning group	Prepositions
Position / place	in front of, at the back of, next to, by the side of, close to, on top of, at the top of, at the foot of, at the edge of, in the middle of, in the midst of, opposite to, far from, ahead of
Direction / movement	away from, out of, in the direction of, up to, as far as, by way of
Time	at the end of, by the end of, in the course of, on the eve of, prior to, in the middle of (a match, a lesson), in the wake of, ahead of
Reason / cause	because of, due to, owing to, on account of, thanks to, in view of, for fear of, by virtue of
Contrast	in spite of, regardless of (single-word: despite, notwithstanding)
Replacement	instead of, in place of, in lieu of
Addition / exception	in addition to, along with, apart from, except for, with the exception of
Topic (about)	with regard to, with respect to, with reference to, in relation to, as for, in terms of
Rule / source	according to, in accordance with, as per, on the basis of
Means / purpose	by means of, by dint of, for the sake of, with a view to, in search of
Representation / support	on behalf of, in favour of, in charge of
Condition	in case of, in the event of

Pairs that students confuse

Pair	Difference	Examples
because of / because	because of + noun; because + clause	We stayed in because of the rain. We stayed in because it was raining.
in spite of / despite / although	in spite of and despite + noun or -ing (never despite of); although + clause	In spite of the rain / Despite the rain / Although it rained, we played.
due to / owing to	Traditional rule: due to after the verb be; owing to at the start of a sentence	The delay was due to fog. Owing to fog, the flight was late.
instead of / instead	instead of + noun or -ing; instead alone is an adverb at the end	Drink water instead of cola. There was no cola, so I drank water instead.
on top of / at the top of	on top of = resting on the upper surface; at the top of = at the highest part	The box is on top of the fridge. Write your name at the top of the page.
in front of / opposite	in front of = ahead, facing the same way or before a thing; opposite = facing it, across a space	The car stopped in front of the house. The bank is opposite the mosque, across the road.
according to / in accordance with	according to = as said by (a person, report); in accordance with = following a rule or law	According to the teacher, the test is tomorrow. The test was held in accordance with the rules.
with regard to / as regards	both mean concerning; never with regards to	With regard to your request, ...

Participial prepositions

A participial preposition is a participle (the -ing or -ed/-en form of a verb) that works as a preposition. It has an object, but it has no subject performing the action, so it is not a verb in the sentence.

Preposition	Meaning	Example
considering	keeping in mind; taking into account	Considering his age, he plays very well.
regarding	about; on the subject of	The principal sent a notice regarding the winter vacation.
concerning	about; connected with	He asked several questions concerning the new syllabus.
during	throughout or at some point in a period	The lights went off during the lecture.
pending	while waiting for; until	The result is withheld pending an inquiry.
notwithstanding	in spite of (formal)	Notwithstanding the rain, the rally went ahead.
barring	except; if something does not happen	Barring bad weather, the flight will leave on time.
excepting	not including	All the shops were closed, excepting the pharmacy.
including	having as part of the group	Ten students, including Ayesha, won scholarships.
following	after	Following the match, the players met the fans.
given	taking into account	Given the traffic, we should leave early.
touching	about (old, formal)	He wrote a letter touching the matter of fees.

Prepositions of timeOften examined

Prepositions of time tell us when something happens or how long it lasts. The three basic ones are at, on, in. Think of them as moving from small to large: at a point, on a day, in a longer period.

At a point, on a day, in a period.
Preposition	Use it with	Examples
at	clock times; exact moments; festivals as a period; some fixed phrases	at 9 o'clock, at 4:30, at noon, at midnight, at night, at sunrise, at the moment, at present, at the age of 17, at Eid (the festival season), at the weekend (British)
on	days; dates; a particular day; a day + part of the day	on Monday, on 14 August, on Eid day, on my birthday, on Independence Day, on Friday morning, on the weekend (American), on time
in	months; years; seasons; centuries; parts of the day; longer periods; a time from now	in March, in 2026, in winter, in the 1990s, in the 21st century, in the morning, in the evening, in Ramadan, in the holidays, in two days, in time

for, since and ago

Word	Meaning	Tense	Examples
for	a length of time (how long)	any tense; often present perfect	for three hours, for two years, for a week: She has studied here for* two years.*
since	a starting point (from when)	present perfect or past perfect	since 2020, since Monday, since morning, since childhood: She has studied here since* 2024.*
ago	back from now (an adverb after the period)	simple past	She joined two years ago.

by and until (till)

Word	Meaning	Examples
by	not later than; a deadline. The action is done once, at or before that time.	Submit your assignment by Friday. The guests will arrive by 8 p.m.
until / till	up to that time; the action or state continues and then stops.	Wait here until 5 o'clock. The shop stays open till midnight in Ramadan.
not ... until	it will not happen before that time	The results will not be announced until August.

during and while

Word	Part of speech	Followed by	Example
during	preposition	a noun	The lights went off during the lecture.
while	conjunction	a clause (subject + verb) or an -ing form	The lights went off while the teacher was speaking.
for vs during	for = how long; during = when		I slept for two hours during the journey.

Other prepositions of time

Preposition	Meaning	Example
in (+ period)	after that much time from now	The bus will leave in ten minutes.
within	before the end of a period	Reply within a week.
after / before	later than / earlier than	Go for a walk after dinner. Wash your hands before eating.
from ... to / till / until	the start and end of a period	The shop is open from 9 to 5.
throughout	from the beginning to the end of	It rained throughout the night.
past	after (in clock time)	It is half past nine.
over	during a period (often a holiday)	We visited Naran over the summer.
between	in the time from one point to another	Call me between 2 and 3 p.m.

Fixed time phrases that are often tested

Phrase	Meaning	Example
on time	exactly at the planned time	The train left on time.
in time	early enough (before it is too late)	We reached the hall in time for the exam.
at the end (of)	at the point where something finishes	The answers are given at the end of the book.
in the end	finally, after a long time	In the end, Pakistan won the match.
at first / at last	in the beginning / finally after waiting	At first I was nervous. At last the results came.
at once	immediately	Leave the room at once.

Prepositions of place and positionOften examined

Prepositions of place tell us where something is. They are the ones most often used in the Q5 B paragraphs: placed the laptop on top of the books, sat next to his brother, found the pen between the notebooks, stood in front of the door, a ruler inside the drawer.

in, on, at

At a point, on a surface or line, in an enclosed space or area.
Preposition	Idea	Examples
at	a point; a place where an activity happens	at the door, at the bus stop, at the corner of the street, at home, at school, at the airport, at the top of the page, at a wedding, at 12 Jinnah Avenue
on	a surface; a line; public transport you can stand in	on the table, on the wall, on the floor, on the second floor, on the road, on the Indus, on the coast, on the left, on page 5, on the bus, on a train, on a plane, on a bike, on TV, on the internet
in	inside an area or a closed space	in the box, in the room, in the drawer, in Lahore, in Pakistan, in the sea, in the sky, in a car, in a taxi, in the picture, in the newspaper, in bed, in hospital, in a queue, in the corner of the room

above and over

Preposition	Meaning	Examples
above	higher than; not touching; on a higher level or scale	The fan is above the table. The temperature rose above 45 degrees. His marks are above average.
over	directly above; covering; across (movement); more than	She put a blanket over the child. The plane flew over the city. He jumped over the wall. Over 500 people came.

below, under, beneath, underneath

Preposition	Meaning	Examples
below	lower than; on a lower level or scale	The temperature in Skardu fell below zero. Please do not write below this line.
under	directly below, often covered; less than (age, amount); controlled by	The cat is under the table. Children under 12 travel free. The road is under repair.
beneath	under (formal or literary); not worthy of	They slept beneath the stars. Lying is beneath him.
underneath	directly under, hidden or covered by	I found my phone underneath a pile of clothes.

between and among

Preposition	Use	Examples
between	two people or things; or several things seen as separate, one by one	Sit between Ali and Omar. Islamabad lies between the Margalla Hills and Rawalpindi. Choose between tea, coffee and juice.
among / amongst	three or more as a group, not separated	She was among the top ten students. The prize money was shared among the team.

beside and besides

Word	Meaning	Example
beside	next to; by the side of	Come and sit beside me.
besides	in addition to; also (as an adverb); except (in negatives)	Besides English, she speaks Chinese. Nobody besides Ali knew the answer.

in front of, behind, opposite

Preposition	Meaning	Example
in front of	ahead of; directly before (the front side)	A rickshaw stopped in front of our gate. She stood in front of the class.
behind	at the back of	The garden is behind the house. He hid behind the door.
opposite (to)	facing, on the other side of a space (road, table)	The pharmacy is opposite the hospital.

near, next to, by, beside

Preposition	Meaning	Example
near (to)	a short distance from; not necessarily touching	We live near the Faisal Mosque.
next to	immediately beside, with nothing in between	Sana sat next to her friend.
by / by the side of / beside	at the side of; very close	He stood by the window. The old man sat by the side of the road.
close to	near	The hotel is close to the airport.

inside, outside, within, on top of, against

Preposition	Meaning	Example
inside	in the inner part of (closed space)	She found a paintbrush inside her bag.
outside	not in; beyond the walls of	Wait outside the exam hall.
within	inside the limits of (place or time)	Stay within the school boundary.
on top of	on the highest surface of something	He placed his laptop on top of the books.
at the top of / at the bottom of	at the highest / lowest part of	The flag is at the top of the pole.
against	touching and leaning on	The ladder is against the wall.
across from	on the opposite side of	The canteen is across from the library.
around / round	on every side of	We sat around the fire.
at the edge of	on the border or outer line of	They set up camp at the edge of the lake.
in the middle of	at the centre of	There is a fountain in the middle of the park.

Prepositions of movement (direction)Often examined

Prepositions of movement show the direction in which something goes. They are used with verbs of motion: go, come, run, walk, drive, fly, swim, jump, move, fall, climb.

Preposition	Movement	Example
to	towards a destination (and reaching it)	We went to Lahore for Eid.
towards	in the direction of (may not reach)	The thief ran towards the market.
into	from outside to inside	She walked into the classroom.
out of	from inside to outside	He jumped out of the car.
onto	to a position on a surface	The cat jumped onto the table.
off	away from a surface	He fell off his bicycle.
across	from one side to the other of a flat area or line	The children ran across the road. He swam across the river.
through	from one end to the other of something that surrounds you	The train passed through a tunnel. We walked through the forest.
along	following the length of a line	We walked along the canal.
past	going by, beside and beyond	The bus drove past the school without stopping.
over	above and across	The horse jumped over the fence.
under	below, from one side to the other	The boat went under the bridge.
up / down	to a higher / lower place	She ran up the stairs. Water flows down the hill.
around / round	in a circle; to the other side	The athletes ran around the track.
away from	leaving; moving to a distance	Move away from the fire.
from ... to	start and end of a journey	We drove from Islamabad to Murree.
along with	together with, while moving	She went to the market along with her mother.

across or through?

Use across for a flat surface or a line (road, river, field, bridge, desert): you move on top of it. Use through for a space that surrounds you (tunnel, forest, crowd, door, window, jungle): you move inside it.

to or into? on or onto? in or into?

Position (no movement)	Movement	Example
in	into	The fish is in the bowl. The fish jumped into the bowl.
on	onto	The book is on the shelf. She put the book onto the shelf.
at	to	He is at school. He goes to school.

Other meanings: agent, instrument, cause, material, manner

Meaning	Preposition	Example
Agent (the doer, in the passive)	by	The Pearl was written by John Steinbeck.
Instrument (the tool)	with	He cut the rope with a knife.
Means of transport or communication	by	by bus, by car, by air, by post, by email (but on foot)
Cause of death or illness	of (disease, hunger), from (wound, injury, cause)	He died of cancer. She died from her injuries.
Material	of (material still seen), from (material changed)	The table is made of wood. Paper is made from wood.
Manner	with, in, by	He worked with great care. She spoke in a low voice. He won by a huge margin.
Purpose	for	This room is for prayers.
Possession / part	of	the roof of the house, a member of the team
Comparison	like (+ noun), as (+ role)	She sings like a nightingale. He works as a doctor.
Topic	about, on (more serious or academic)	a story about a pearl diver; a lecture on climate change
Accompaniment	with	I went to the mela with my cousins.
Support / opposition	for / against	Are you for or against the plan?

Fixed prepositions after verbs, adjectives and nouns (88)Often examined

Many verbs, adjectives and nouns are always followed by one particular preposition. These are called fixed (or dependent) prepositions. There is no rule for them: you must learn them as word partners, like interested in or good at. They are tested in MCQs and in the editing question (Q5 A).

After verbs

Verb + preposition	Note	Example
abstain from	keep yourself from	Muslims abstain from food and drink while fasting.
accuse (someone) of	not for, not with	The shopkeeper accused the boy of stealing.
agree with (a person)	share the opinion of	I agree with you completely.
agree to (a proposal)	accept a plan	The principal agreed to our plan for a trip.
aim at	point at; try to get	The archer aimed at the target.
apologise to (someone) for (something)	two prepositions	He apologised to the teacher for coming late.
approve of	think something is good	My parents approve of my choice of subjects.
believe in	trust in the value of	She believes in hard work.
belong to	be owned by	This cricket bat belongs to Hamza.
blame (someone) for	say someone caused it	Don't blame others for your own mistakes.
comply with	obey a rule	All shops must comply with the new rules.
congratulate (someone) on	not for	We congratulated him on his success.
consist of	be made up of	A cricket team consists of eleven players.
deal with	handle	The police dealt with the matter quickly.
depend on	rely on; be decided by	Our picnic depends on the weather.
die of (a disease)	die from (a wound or cause)	Many people died of cholera in the past.
insist on	not insist to	She insisted on paying the bill.
laugh at	make fun of	Never laugh at the poor.
listen to	never listen music	Listen to the teacher carefully.
look after	take care of	She looks after her grandmother.
object to	followed by a noun or -ing	The parents objected to the increase in fees.
prefer (A) to (B)	not prefer than	I prefer tea to coffee.
prevent (someone) from	followed by -ing	The rain prevented us from playing.
provide (someone) with	provide something for someone	The school provides students with free books.
recover from	get better after	He has recovered from the flu.
refer to	look at; mention	Please refer to page 10 of the notes.
rely on	trust; depend on	You can rely on Ali; he never lets anyone down.
succeed in	followed by -ing	He succeeded in passing the entry test.
suffer from	have an illness or problem	She is suffering from a high fever.
translate into	change to another language	Translate this paragraph into Urdu.
wait for	never wait him	We waited for the bus for an hour.
compare with	look for likeness and difference; compare to = show a likeness	Compare your answers with the key.

After adjectives

Adjective + preposition	Note	Example
absent from	not present	He was absent from class on Monday.
accustomed to	used to (followed by -ing)	She is accustomed to waking up early.
addicted to	unable to stop	Many teenagers are addicted to their phones.
afraid of	not afraid from	Little Sara is afraid of dogs.
angry with (a person)	not angry on	The teacher was angry with the noisy boys.
angry at / about (a thing)	for a situation or action	Passengers were angry at the long delay.
aware of	knowing about	Are you aware of the new rules?
bad at	weak in a skill	I am bad at drawing.
capable of	followed by -ing	He is capable of winning the race.
confident of	sure of	Our captain is confident of victory.
different from	different to (British) and different than (American) are also heard, but textbooks and FBISE use from	Urdu script is different from English script.
disappointed with	unhappy with (a person or thing)	The coach was disappointed with the result.
excited about	eager and happy about	The children are excited about Eid.
famous for	well known because of	Lahore is famous for its food.
fond of	liking	Children are fond of sweets.
full of	filled with	The hall was full of parents.
good at	not good in	Sara is good at mathematics.
grateful to (someone) for (something)	two prepositions	I am grateful to my teacher for her help.
guilty of	having done a wrong	He was found guilty of fraud.
interested in	not interested for	He is interested in cricket.
jealous of	envious of	She was jealous of her cousin's new phone.
kind to	gentle towards	Be kind to animals.
married to	not married with	My sister is married to a doctor.
pleased with	happy with	The coach was pleased with our performance.
preferable to	not preferable than	Walking is preferable to driving for short trips.
proud of	feeling pride in	We are proud of our athletes.
responsible for	having the duty of	Who is responsible for this mess?
satisfied with	content with	The teacher was satisfied with my answer.
senior to / junior to	not senior than	Mr Khan is senior to me in the office.
similar to	like	Your bag is similar to mine.
superior to / inferior to	not superior than	This phone is superior to the old model.
sure of	certain of	I am sure of his honesty.
tired of	bored with (tired from = physically tired because of)	I am tired of waiting.
worried about	anxious about	Parents are worried about the exam results.

After nouns

Noun + preposition	Note	Example
access to	a way to reach or use	Every child should have access to education.
advantage of / over	benefit of; a better position than	The advantage of online classes is flexibility.
answer to	not answer of	What is the answer to question 3?
approach to	a way of dealing with	We need a new approach to the problem of load-shedding.
cause of	reason that makes it happen	Smoking is a major cause of lung cancer.
cure for	a medicine or remedy for	There is no cure for the common cold.
damage to	harm to	The storm caused damage to many houses.
demand for	a need to buy	There is a high demand for mangoes in summer.
difficulty in	followed by -ing	She had difficulty in finding the address.
example of	a sample of	The Badshahi Mosque is a fine example of Mughal architecture.
increase in	rise in an amount	There has been an increase in petrol prices.
interest in	liking for	He has a keen interest in science.
invitation to	a request to come	We received an invitation to the wedding.
key to	the way to get	Hard work is the key to success.
lack of	not enough	Many villages suffer from a lack of clean water.
need for	a necessity	There is a need for more hospitals in rural areas.
reason for	not reason of	What is the reason for your absence?
reply to	an answer to	I am still waiting for a reply to my letter.
respect for	a feeling of honour for	We must show respect for our elders.
solution to	an answer to a problem	Planting trees is one solution to air pollution.
threat to	danger to	Plastic is a threat to marine life.
emphasis on	but the verb emphasise has no preposition	The new syllabus puts emphasis on writing skills.

Same word, different preposition, different meaning

Phrase	Meaning	Example
look at / look for / look after / look into	see / search / take care of / investigate	The police will look into the matter.
agree with / agree to / agree on	a person or opinion / a proposal / a decision reached together	We agreed on a date for the picnic.
compare with / compare to	examine likeness and difference / say one thing is like another	Shakespeare compared the world to a stage.
die of / die from	a disease / a wound or outside cause	He died of malaria.
made of / made from / made into	material still visible / material changed / changed into	Milk is made into cheese.
tired of / tired from	bored with / physically tired because of	I am tired from the long walk.
good at / good for / good to	skilful in / healthy for / kind to	Fruit is good for you.
result in / result from	cause / be caused by	Careless driving results in accidents.
anxious about / anxious for	worried about / eager for	We are anxious for news.

Common preposition errors (useful for editing too)

These mistakes are common in Pakistani English. Examiners also plant some of them in the editing paragraph (Q5 A).

Wrong	Right	Rule
We discussed about the plan.	We discussed the plan.	discuss takes a direct object (but: a discussion about the plan)
He entered into the room.	He entered the room.	enter a place needs no preposition (enter into an agreement is correct)
We reached at Lahore.	We reached Lahore.	reach takes a direct object
She returned back home.	She returned home.	return already means go back
The house comprises of four rooms.	The house comprises four rooms. / The house consists of four rooms.	comprise has no of; consist of does
He emphasised on hard work.	He emphasised hard work. / He laid emphasis on hard work.	verb without on; noun with on
I am going to home.	I am going home.	no preposition before home after a movement verb
She is married with a doctor.	She is married to a doctor.	fixed preposition
He is good in maths.	He is good at maths.	fixed preposition
He was accused for theft.	He was accused of theft.	fixed preposition
I prefer tea than coffee.	I prefer tea to coffee.	prefer ... to
She is senior than me.	She is senior to me.	Latin comparatives take to
I have been waiting since two hours.	I have been waiting for two hours.	a length of time takes for
We met on last Sunday.	We met last Sunday.	no preposition before last, next, this, every
Despite of the rain, we played.	Despite the rain / In spite of the rain, we played.	despite has no of
The teacher was angry on me.	The teacher was angry with me.	angry with a person
Wait him here.	Wait for him here.	wait for
I like to listen music.	I like to listen to music.	listen to
She insisted to go.	She insisted on going.	insist on + -ing
We arrived to the airport.	We arrived at the airport.	arrive at / in
He cannot cope up with stress.	He cannot cope with stress.	cope with (no up)
Divide the cake among the two sisters.	Divide the cake between the two sisters.	two people: between
She is sitting besides me.	She is sitting beside me.	beside = next to
We travelled by foot.	We travelled on foot.	fixed phrase
I look forward to meet you.	I look forward to meeting you.	to is a preposition here, so -ing
Between you and I, ...	Between you and me, ...	object pronoun after a preposition
He was killed with a robber.	He was killed by a robber.	agent takes by
Order for a pizza.	Order a pizza.	order takes a direct object (but: place an order for)

How to solve Q5 B (6 marks)Often examined

Q5 B gives a paragraph of about 100 words with six numbered blanks and a box of seven prepositions or prepositional phrases. You fill each blank with one item from the box. The instruction says Do not use any prepositional phrase twice, so one item is always left over (the model paper box had exactly six items for six blanks). Each correct blank earns 1 mark.

The method, step by step

Read the whole paragraph first, without filling anything. Get the story: who is doing what, where and when.
Sort the box by meaning. Write a tiny label over each item: P for position (on, inside, behind, next to, in front of, between, on top of, under), T for time (in the morning, during, after), D for direction or movement (away from, towards, into, across), R for reason or other (because of, instead of, in spite of).
Look at the words on both sides of each blank. The verb before it (placed, sat, stood, hid, crawled, set out) and the noun after it (the table, her friend, the two books, the door, her bag) decide the meaning group and the exact preposition.
Fill the easiest blanks first. Some blanks accept only one item: between needs two things (the two books); inside needs a container (bag, drawer, box); in the morning needs a time slot; away from needs a place you leave.
Cross out each item as you use it. Never use an item twice.
Fill the remaining blanks by elimination. When two items fit one blank (for example next to and beside), look for the other blank that only one of them can fill.
Reread the completed paragraph aloud in your head. Every sentence must sound natural and make sense. One item should be left over.

Clue words and the phrase they usually take

Clue in the sentence	Usual answer	Example from 2026 papers
placed / put / kept + a surface (table, shelf, rug, books)	on / on top of	placed his laptop on top of the books; stacked his files on the shelf
sat + a person	next to / beside / by the side of	sat next to his brother
found + two things or a plural group	between / among	found it between the notebooks
stood + door, window, mirror, class	in front of	stood quietly in front of the door
found / discovered + container (bag, drawer, box)	inside	a ruler inside his drawer
hid / crawled + furniture	behind / under	crawled behind the sofa; hid under a big umbrella
set out / left + early	in the morning	set out early in the morning
a picnic / a house + a lake or river	by the side of / at the edge of	a picnic by the side of the lake
a spot higher up (a hill, a roof)	on top of / on the top of	a picnic on the top of a small hill
spent a day + noise of a city	away from	away from the hustle and bustle of the city

Worked example 1: the method in action

Box: under | inside | next to | between | on | in front of | behind. Paragraph: Before the exam, Bilal checked his things. He found his admit card (1) ______ his pencil box. He put his water bottle (2) ______ the floor (3) ______ his chair. In the hall, he sat (4) ______ his classmate Faizan. His seat was (5) ______ two big windows, so there was plenty of light. The invigilator stood (6) ______ the class and read out the rules.

Step 1, read. A student gets ready for an exam and sits in the hall.

Step 2, sort. All seven items are position words (P).

Step 3 to 6, fill the sure blanks first. (5) two big windows: two things, so between. (1) pencil box: a container, so inside. (2) the floor: a surface, so on. (6) stood ... the class and read out the rules: facing the students, so in front of. (4) sat ... his classmate: next to. (3) The bottle is on the floor, and a place near the chair that keeps it out of the way is under his chair (or behind).

Blank	Answer	Clue
(1)	inside	a pencil box is a container
(2)	on	the floor is a surface
(3)	under	the bottle is kept below the chair
(4)	next to	sat + a person
(5)	between	two windows
(6)	in front of	the invigilator faces the class

Step 7, reread. He put his water bottle on the floor under his chair. All six sentences make sense. Behind is left over (it could replace under in (3); either earns the mark).

Worked example 2: position, time, direction and reason in one box

Box: in the morning | because of | away from | along | instead of | at the end of | across. Paragraph: Last Sunday, my father and I went cycling. We left home early (1) ______ to beat the heat. We rode (2) ______ the Rawal Lake road, which runs beside the water. At one point we had to carry our bikes (3) ______ a narrow stream. We stopped for tea (4) ______ the busy main road, where it was quiet. On the way back, we took a longer route (5) ______ the short one (6) ______ heavy traffic near Faizabad.

Sort the box. Time: in the morning, at the end of. Reason and replacement: because of, instead of. Direction: away from, along, across.

Blank	Answer	Group	Clue
(1)	in the morning	time	left home early and to beat the heat
(2)	along	direction	a road which runs beside the water: following its length
(3)	across	direction	from one bank of a narrow stream to the other
(4)	away from	position	where it was quiet: at a distance from the busy road
(5)	instead of	replacement	a longer route in place of the short one
(6)	because of	reason	the reason was heavy traffic

Spare item: at the end of. It needs a period or a line (at the end of the day), and no blank has one.

Key terms

Preposition: A word or group of words placed before a noun or pronoun to show its relation (place, time, direction, reason, manner) to another word in the sentence.
Object of a preposition: The noun, pronoun or gerund that follows a preposition: beside her mother.
Prepositional phrase: A preposition together with its object and the object's modifiers: on the old wooden table. It works as an adjective or an adverb.
Adjectival prepositional phrase: A prepositional phrase that describes a noun: the boy with the blue cap.
Adverbial prepositional phrase: A prepositional phrase that describes a verb, telling where, when, how or why: ran across the field.
Simple preposition: A one-word basic preposition: at, by, for, from, in, of, on, to, with.
Double preposition: Two prepositions used together, as one word or two: into, onto, upon, within, from behind, out of.
Compound preposition (traditional): In Wren and Martin, a one-word preposition formed by adding a- (on) or be- (by) to another word: across, along, beside, between, beneath.
Compound preposition (FBISE): A group of two or more words used as a single preposition: in front of, because of, in spite of, next to, according to. FBISE's model paper and 2026 papers use this meaning.
Phrase (complex) preposition: Wren and Martin's name for a group of words used as one preposition: in spite of, on behalf of, by means of.
Participial preposition: A participle (-ing or -ed form) used as a preposition: considering, regarding, concerning, during, pending.
Fixed (dependent) preposition: The preposition that always follows a particular verb, adjective or noun: insist on, good at, reason for.
Particle: A preposition-like word used as an adverb without an object, often in a phrasal verb: sit down, come in.
Preposition of time: A preposition that tells when or how long: at, on, in, for, since, by, until, during, within.
Preposition of place: A preposition that tells where something is: in, on, at, under, between, behind, next to, in front of.
Preposition of movement: A preposition that shows direction after a verb of motion: to, towards, into, onto, across, through, along, past, away from.
Spare item (distractor): In Q5 B, the box item that is left unused because the box has seven items for six blanks.

Practice MCQs

New MCQs in FBISE style on every rule of this unit. Each reason names the rule.

11 mark

"She walked into the room." The underlined preposition is a/an:

Adouble prepositionAnswer
Bparticipial preposition
Cphrase preposition
Dsimple preposition

Why

Into is made of two prepositions, in + to, so it is a double preposition.

21 mark

"He asked several questions concerning the exam." The underlined word is a/an:

Asimple preposition
Bcompound preposition
Cparticipial prepositionAnswer
Ddouble preposition

Why

Concerning is an -ing form of the verb concern used as a preposition (= about), so it is a participial preposition.

31 mark

"The mosque stands beside the river." In the traditional (Wren and Martin) classification, the underlined word is a/an:

Aparticipial preposition
Bphrase preposition
Cdouble preposition
Dcompound prepositionAnswer

Why

Beside is formed from be (= by) + side. Wren and Martin call such one-word forms compound prepositions.

41 mark

Which sentence uses a compound preposition in the sense FBISE uses it?

AWe waited near the gate.
BThe keys are on the table.
CShe stood in front of the mirror.Answer
DHe ran across the road.

Why

FBISE treats a group of words working as one preposition as a compound preposition. In front of is the only multi-word preposition; on, across, near are single words.

51 mark

"The cat came out from behind the sofa." The underlined words are a:

Asimple preposition
Bdouble prepositionAnswer
Cparticipial preposition
Dconjunction

Why

From behind is two prepositions used together, so it is a double preposition.

61 mark

Which of these is a participial preposition?

Aonto
Bbecause of
Cbeneath
DduringAnswer

Why

During comes from an old verb meaning to last and is the standard example of a participial preposition. Beneath is compound, onto double, because of a phrase preposition.

71 mark

"Please come in." The underlined word is a/an:

Aconjunction
Bparticiple
Cpreposition
DadverbAnswer

Why

In has no object here, so it is an adverb (a particle), not a preposition. Compare She is in the room, where in has the object the room.

81 mark

Identify the preposition in: "On behalf of the class, Hira thanked the principal."

Athanked
BOn
Cbehalf
DOn behalf ofAnswer

Why

On behalf of is a phrase (compound) preposition: the three words together mean as the representative of.

91 mark

"The book on the shelf is mine." The underlined prepositional phrase works as a/an:

Aadverb phrase
Badjective phraseAnswer
Cnoun clause
Dverb phrase

Why

The phrase tells us which book, so it describes a noun and works as an adjective phrase.

101 mark

The match was cancelled ______ heavy rain.

Abecause
Bbecause ofAnswer
Calthough
Ddespite of

Why

A noun (heavy rain) follows, so we need the phrase preposition because of. Because and although need a clause, and despite of is never correct.

111 mark

______ the heavy traffic, we reached the hall on time.

ADespite of
BBecause
CIn spite ofAnswer
DAlthough

Why

A contrast with a noun after it needs in spite of (or despite). Although and because need a clause; despite of is wrong.

121 mark

The delay was ______ fog.

Adue toAnswer
Bbecause
Cin spite of
Dinstead of

Why

After the verb be, the cause is given with due to. Because needs a clause; the other two give the wrong meaning.

131 mark

Take a bus ______ walking in this heat.

Arather of
Binstead
Cinstead ofAnswer
Din place

Why

Instead of + -ing means in place of doing. Instead alone cannot take an object, and in place and rather of are incomplete.

141 mark

The exam was conducted ______ the rules of the Board.

Ain accordance to
Baccordance with
Caccording with
Din accordance withAnswer

Why

The fixed phrase is in accordance with (following a rule). According to would also work, but it is not among the options.

151 mark

"I am writing with regard to your letter." The underlined words mean:

Anext to
Bin spite of
CconcerningAnswer
Dinstead of

Why

With regard to means concerning or about.

161 mark

I have been living in Islamabad ______ 2019.

AsinceAnswer
Bby
Cfor
Dfrom

Why

2019 is a starting point and the verb is present perfect continuous, so we use since.

171 mark

She has been studying ______ three hours.

Afrom
Bduring
Csince
DforAnswer

Why

Three hours is a length of time, so we use for.

181 mark

Please submit your assignment ______ Friday.

AbyAnswer
Bsince
Ctill
Duntil

Why

Submitting is a single action with a deadline, so we use by (not later than). Until is for an action that continues.

191 mark

We waited at the stop ______ 6 o'clock, but the bus never came.

Asince
Bwithin
Cby
DuntilAnswer

Why

Waiting continued up to 6 o'clock, so until is right. Since would need the present perfect, and by is for deadlines.

201 mark

The phone rang ______ the lecture.

AduringAnswer
Bfor
Csince
Dwhile

Why

The lecture is a noun, so the preposition during is needed. While is a conjunction and needs a clause.

211 mark

My birthday is ______ 5 May.

Aby
Bin
Cat
DonAnswer

Why

Dates take on.

221 mark

Pakistan came into being ______ 1947.

Aat
BinAnswer
Csince
Don

Why

Years take in. (With the full date we say on 14 August 1947.)

231 mark

I met him ______ Friday morning.

AonAnswer
Bat
Cby
Din

Why

A named day wins, even with a part of the day after it: on Friday morning.

241 mark

You must finish the task ______ a week; after that the offer ends.

Atill
BwithinAnswer
Csince
Dduring

Why

Within means before the end of a period. Since needs a starting point, and till a week is not English.

251 mark

Divide the sweets ______ the two brothers.

Aamong
BbetweenAnswer
Cwith
Dbeside

Why

Two people take between; among is for three or more as a group.

261 mark

The prize money was shared ______ all the members of the team.

Abeside
Bwithin
Cbetween
DamongAnswer

Why

All the members is a group of more than two, so among is used.

271 mark

______ English, she also speaks Chinese.

ABetween
BBehind
CBeside
DBesidesAnswer

Why

Besides means in addition to. Beside means next to.

281 mark

The temperature in Skardu fell ______ zero last night.

Aunderneath
Bunder
CbelowAnswer
Dbeneath

Why

For a level on a scale (temperature, average, sea level) we use below.

291 mark

She put a blanket ______ the sleeping child.

Aabove
BoverAnswer
Cat
Dupon of

Why

Over means covering something. Above means higher than without touching, which does not fit a blanket.

301 mark

We arrived ______ the airport at noon.

Ain
Bon
Cto
DatAnswer

Why

Arrive at a building or small place; arrive in a city or country. Arrive to is never correct.

311 mark

The cat jumped ______ the table.

AontoAnswer
Binto
Cat
Din

Why

Movement to a surface takes onto. Into is for moving inside something.

321 mark

The boy swam ______ the river to the other bank.

AacrossAnswer
Bthrough
Cinto
Dalong

Why

From one side to the other side of a river is across.

331 mark

The train passed ______ a long tunnel.

Aacross
BthroughAnswer
Cover
Dalong

Why

A tunnel surrounds the train, so we use through.

341 mark

We walked ______ the canal for an hour, enjoying the breeze.

Athrough
Binto
Cacross
DalongAnswer

Why

Walking beside a canal, following its length, is along.

351 mark

The thief jumped ______ the window and ran away.

Aout ofAnswer
Binto
Conto
Doff

Why

He moved from inside the house to the outside, so out of fits with ran away.

361 mark

He fell ______ his bicycle and hurt his knee.

Aaway
Bfrom of
CoffAnswer
Dout

Why

Moving away from a surface you were on is off.

371 mark

Choose the correct sentence.

AWe reached in Lahore at night.
BWe reached at Lahore at night.
CWe reached Lahore at night.Answer
DWe reached to Lahore at night.

Why

Reach takes a direct object, with no preposition.

381 mark

She is good ______ mathematics.

AatAnswer
Bon
Cwith
Din

Why

The fixed adjective + preposition is good at.

391 mark

He was accused ______ cheating in the exam.

Afor
Bwith
CofAnswer
Don

Why

Accuse someone of something is the fixed pattern.

401 mark

My sister is married ______ an engineer.

AtoAnswer
Bby
Cfrom
Dwith

Why

Married to is fixed. Married with is a common error.

411 mark

The teacher was angry ______ the careless students.

AwithAnswer
Bover
Con
Dupon

Why

Angry with a person; angry at or about a thing.

421 mark

I prefer tea ______ coffee.

Aagainst
Bthan
CtoAnswer
Dfrom

Why

The pattern is prefer A to B.

431 mark

This model is superior ______ the old one.

Athan
Bfrom
CtoAnswer
Dover

Why

Superior, inferior, senior, junior take to, never than.

441 mark

My answer is different ______ yours.

Aon
BfromAnswer
Cwith
Dthan

Why

Textbooks and FBISE use different from.

451 mark

The coach insisted ______ extra practice before the final.

Ato
Bfor
ConAnswer
Dat

Why

The fixed pattern is insist on.

461 mark

She is suffering ______ a high fever.

Ain
Bof
CfromAnswer
Dby

Why

The fixed pattern is suffer from an illness.

471 mark

He is interested ______ joining the army.

Ato
BinAnswer
Cat
Dfor

Why

Interested in + -ing is the fixed pattern.

481 mark

I am looking forward to ______ you in Murree.

Amet
Bbe meeting
Cmeet
DmeetingAnswer

Why

To in look forward to is a preposition, so the verb after it takes -ing.

491 mark

Choose the correct sentence.

AWe discussed about the result.
BWe discussed the result.Answer
CWe discussed on the result.
DWe discussed over about the result.

Why

Discuss takes a direct object; discuss about is a common error.

501 mark

Between you and ______, this plan will not work.

Amine
BI
CmeAnswer
Dmyself

Why

A pronoun that is the object of a preposition takes the object form: between you and me.

Q5 B practice paragraphs (solved)

Five paper-style tasks: six blanks, a box of seven, each item used once. Solve them with the method in How to solve Q5 B before reading the answers.

16 marks

Fill in the blanks with appropriate choice of prepositional phrases/compound prepositions in the following paragraph. (Do not use any prepositional phrase twice.)

Box (do not use any phrase twice)
in front of	because of	during	on top of	away from	next to	instead of

Our school sports day was held last Saturday. The whole school gathered (1) ______ the main stage, facing the Principal as she gave a short speech. (2) ______ the 100-metre race, Bilal twisted his ankle, so Hamza ran (3) ______ him in the relay. The winners stood (4) ______ the victory stand to receive their medals. The long jump was delayed for an hour (5) ______ a sudden dust storm. For their safety, parents were asked to sit (6) ______ the running track.

Solution

Completed paragraph

Our school sports day was held last Saturday. The whole school gathered in front of the main stage, facing the Principal as she gave a short speech. During the 100-metre race, Bilal twisted his ankle, so Hamza ran instead of him in the relay. The winners stood on top of the victory stand to receive their medals. The long jump was delayed for an hour because of a sudden dust storm. For their safety, parents were asked to sit away from the running track.

Why each answer is right

Blank	Answer	Meaning group	Clue in the sentence
(1)	in front of	position	facing the Principal: the crowd is before the stage
(2)	During	time	the injury happened in the course of the race (a noun, so not while)
(3)	instead of	replacement	Bilal was injured, so Hamza took his place
(4)	on top of	position	winners stand on the upper surface of the stand
(5)	because of	reason	the storm is the reason for the delay
(6)	away from	position (distance)	for their safety means at a distance from the track

26 marks

Fill in the blanks with appropriate choice of prepositional phrases/compound prepositions in the following paragraph. (Do not use any prepositional phrase twice.)

Box (do not use any phrase twice)
at the foot of	in the middle of	in the morning	by means of	according to	instead of	inside

Last Sunday, we visited the Faisal Mosque. We left home early (1) ______ to avoid the traffic. The mosque stands (2) ______ the Margalla Hills, so the green slopes rise behind it. (3) ______ our guide, its hall and courtyard can hold about 100,000 worshippers. We took off our shoes before going (4) ______ the main prayer hall. A huge chandelier hangs (5) ______ the hall's ceiling. We returned home by taxi (6) ______ the metro bus, because we were tired.

Solution

Completed paragraph

Last Sunday, we visited the Faisal Mosque. We left home early in the morning to avoid the traffic. The mosque stands at the foot of the Margalla Hills, so the green slopes rise behind it. According to our guide, its hall and courtyard can hold about 100,000 worshippers. We took off our shoes before going inside the main prayer hall. A huge chandelier hangs in the middle of the hall's ceiling. We returned home by taxi instead of the metro bus, because we were tired.

Why each answer is right

Blank	Answer	Meaning group	Clue in the sentence
(1)	in the morning	time	left home early
(2)	at the foot of	position	the hills rise behind it, so the mosque is at their bottom
(3)	According to	source	the information comes from the guide
(4)	inside	position	we took off our shoes to enter the hall
(5)	in the middle of	position	the chandelier hangs at the centre of the ceiling
(6)	instead of	replacement	taxi in place of the metro bus

36 marks

Fill in the blanks with appropriate choice of prepositional phrases/compound prepositions in the following paragraph. (Do not use any prepositional phrase twice.)

Box (do not use any phrase twice)
in spite of	due to	on behalf of	instead of	along with	at the end of	out of

The final of the inter-college cricket tournament was played in Rawalpindi. (1) ______ the hot weather, a large crowd came to watch. Our captain, Usman, walked onto the field (2) ______ the vice-captain for the toss. The start was delayed by twenty minutes; the delay was (3) ______ a wet patch on the pitch. Our batsmen hit the ball (4) ______ the ground many times. (5) ______ the match, we had won by 30 runs. Usman then received the trophy (6) ______ the whole team.

Solution

Completed paragraph

The final of the inter-college cricket tournament was played in Rawalpindi. In spite of the hot weather, a large crowd came to watch. Our captain, Usman, walked onto the field along with the vice-captain for the toss. The start was delayed by twenty minutes; the delay was due to a wet patch on the pitch. Our batsmen hit the ball out of the ground many times. At the end of the match, we had won by 30 runs. Usman then received the trophy on behalf of the whole team.

Why each answer is right

Blank	Answer	Meaning group	Clue in the sentence
(1)	In spite of	contrast	hot weather would keep people away, yet they came
(2)	along with	accompaniment	both captains walk out together for the toss
(3)	due to	reason	after the verb was, the cause takes due to
(4)	out of	direction	the ball went from inside the ground to outside (a six)
(5)	At the end of	time	the result is known when the match finishes
(6)	on behalf of	representation	the captain receives the trophy as the team's representative

46 marks

Fill in the blanks with appropriate choice of prepositional phrases/compound prepositions in the following paragraph. (Do not use any prepositional phrase twice.)

Box (do not use any phrase twice)
towards	across	through	into	away from	out of	along

When heavy rain hit Karachi last August, water poured (1) ______ the low houses near the nullah. Rescue workers pulled a man (2) ______ a car that was stuck in the water. A boat carried families (3) ______ the flooded street to a school on the other side. Volunteers walked (4) ______ the main road, handing out food packets to every house on it. One brave boy waded (5) ______ the deep water to rescue a kitten. By evening, everyone was moving (6) ______ the relief camp, tired but safe.

Solution

Completed paragraph

When heavy rain hit Karachi last August, water poured into the low houses near the nullah. Rescue workers pulled a man out of a car that was stuck in the water. A boat carried families across the flooded street to a school on the other side. Volunteers walked along the main road, handing out food packets to every house on it. One brave boy waded through the deep water to rescue a kitten. By evening, everyone was moving towards the relief camp, tired but safe.

Why each answer is right

Blank	Answer	Meaning group	Clue in the sentence
(1)	into	direction	water moved from outside to the inside of the houses
(2)	out of	direction	the man was inside the car and was pulled outside
(3)	across	direction	to a school on the other side: from one side to the other
(4)	along	direction	every house on it: following the length of the road
(5)	through	direction	deep water surrounds the boy as he moves in it
(6)	towards	direction	in the direction of the camp, the place of safety

56 marks

Fill in the blanks with appropriate choice of prepositional phrases/compound prepositions in the following paragraph. (Do not use any prepositional phrase twice.)

Box (do not use any phrase twice)
prior to	during	until	by the end of	since	for	in the middle of

Our English paper started at 9 a.m. (1) ______ the paper, we had to hand in our phones at the gate. The invigilator told us that no one could leave the hall (2) ______ 10 a.m. The lights went off right (3) ______ the paper, but nobody made a noise. I had been preparing for this paper (4) ______ January, so I felt confident. I worked on my essay (5) ______ forty minutes. (6) ______ the third hour, I had finished and revised all my answers.

Solution

Completed paragraph

Our English paper started at 9 a.m. Prior to the paper, we had to hand in our phones at the gate. The invigilator told us that no one could leave the hall until 10 a.m. The lights went off right in the middle of the paper, but nobody made a noise. I had been preparing for this paper since January, so I felt confident. I worked on my essay for forty minutes. By the end of the third hour, I had finished and revised all my answers.

Why each answer is right

Blank	Answer	Meaning group	Clue in the sentence
(1)	Prior to	time	phones are handed in before the paper starts
(2)	until	time	no one could leave continues up to 10 a.m.
(3)	in the middle of	time	right goes with in the middle of; right during is not idiomatic
(4)	since	time	January is a starting point with the past perfect continuous
(5)	for	time	forty minutes is a length of time
(6)	By the end of	time	a deadline with the past perfect had finished

FBISE paper questions

Questions from the FBISE HSSC-II 2026 (1st Annual) papers, the old-syllabus paper and FBISE model papers that belong to this unit, answered the way an examiner expects.

2026 Annual I, Set B, Q.5 B6 marks

Fill in the blanks with appropriate choice of propositional phrases/compound propositions in the following paragraph. (Do not use any prepositional phrase twice.)

Box (do not use any phrase twice)
inside	in front of	next to	between	behind	beside	on

Sara was preparing for her art project today. First, she placed her sketchbook (1) ______ the table so she could reach it easily. Then, she sat (2) ______ her friend, ready to start drawing. When she needed a pencil, she found it (3) ______ the two books on the shelf. Later, she stood quietly (4) ______ the window, watching the rain outside. While arranging her colors, she discovered a paintbrush (5) ______ her bag. Finally, when she finished, she stacked all her supplies neatly (6) ______ the cupboard.

Solution

Answers

(1) on; (2) beside; (3) between; (4) in front of; (5) behind; (6) inside.

Completed paragraph

Sara was preparing for her art project today. First, she placed her sketchbook on the table so she could reach it easily. Then, she sat beside her friend, ready to start drawing. When she needed a pencil, she found it between the two books on the shelf. Later, she stood quietly in front of the window, watching the rain outside. While arranging her colors, she discovered a paintbrush behind her bag. Finally, when she finished, she stacked all her supplies neatly inside the cupboard.

Reason for each blank

Blank	Answer	Reason
(1)	on	placed + a surface (the table); so she could reach it easily means it rests on top
(2)	beside	sat + a person: at the side of her friend (next to means the same)
(3)	between	the two books: something placed in the space separating two things
(4)	in front of	stood + the window, watching the rain outside: she faces the window
(5)	behind	discovered suggests the brush was hidden: at the back of her bag
(6)	inside	supplies are stored and stacked in the inner space of a cupboard

Note. The paper prints propositional phrases/compound propositions; it means prepositional phrases/compound prepositions.

2026 Annual I, Set D, Q.1 (8)1 mark

Which sentence correctly uses a compound preposition?

AI got late because of the storm.Answer
BShe walked beside the river.
CHe stood near the door.
DThey moved across the field.

Why

Because of is a group of two words used as one preposition, which is what FBISE calls a compound preposition (Wren and Martin call it a phrase preposition). Beside, near and across are one-word prepositions.

If the traditional meaning were used, both beside and across would count as compound and the question would have two answers, so the only possible key is A.

Note. No official key has been published. B and D are compound prepositions in Wren and Martin's system, but the question has one answer only under FBISE's multi-word meaning (the same meaning the model paper uses for in spite of), so A is the answer examiners keyed. Also, got late is Pakistani English; standard English is I was late.

2026 Annual I, Set D, Q.5 B6 marks

Fill in the blanks with appropriate choice of propositional phrases/compound propositions in the following paragraph: (Do not use any prepositional phrase twice.)

Box (do not use any phrase twice)
on top of	next to	in front of	inside	behind	under	on

Sparky, the puppy was very playful today. First, he hid (1) ______ a large cardboard box so no one could see him. Then, he jumped out and ran to sit (2) ______ his favorite soft rug. When he got tired, he crawled (3) ______ the sofa to take a nap in the dark. After his nap, he stood (4) ______ the door, wagging his tail because he wanted to go outside. While waiting, he found a tennis ball (5) ______ his water bowl. Finally, when it started to rain, he hid (6) ______ a big umbrella to stay dry.

Solution

Answers

(1) inside; (2) on; (3) behind; (4) in front of; (5) next to; (6) under.

Completed paragraph

Sparky, the puppy was very playful today. First, he hid inside a large cardboard box so no one could see him. Then, he jumped out and ran to sit on his favorite soft rug. When he got tired, he crawled behind the sofa to take a nap in the dark. After his nap, he stood in front of the door, wagging his tail because he wanted to go outside. While waiting, he found a tennis ball next to his water bowl. Finally, when it started to rain, he hid under a big umbrella to stay dry.

Reason for each blank

Blank	Answer	Reason
(1)	inside	the next sentence says he jumped out, so he was in the box
(2)	on	sit + a flat surface (rug)
(3)	behind	crawled + furniture, to take a nap in the dark: hidden at the back of the sofa (under is needed for (6))
(4)	in front of	stood + the door, wanted to go outside: facing the door
(5)	next to	found a ball at the side of his bowl
(6)	under	an umbrella keeps you dry only if you are below it

Note. The paper prints propositional phrases/compound propositions; it means prepositional phrases/compound prepositions.

2026 Annual I, Set A, Q.1 (20)1 mark

Which sentence correctly uses a compound preposition?

AIt is under the table.
BHe stopped because of the storm.Answer
CShe walked beside the river.
DHe stood near the door.

Why

Because of is the only preposition of more than one word in the options, and FBISE uses compound preposition for such multi-word prepositions. Under and near are simple prepositions, and beside is a one-word preposition.

Note. No official key has been published. In Wren and Martin's system beside (C) is a compound preposition, but FBISE's model paper and the parallel Set D item use the multi-word meaning, so B is the answer to give.

2026 Annual I, Set A, Q.5 B6 marks

Fill in the blanks with appropriate choice of propositional phrases/compound propositions in the following paragraph: (Do not use any prepositional phrase twice.)

Box (do not use any phrase twice)
in front of	next to	between	under	inside	on top of	on

Ali was organizing his study desk today. First, he placed his laptop (1) ______ the books so he could start working. Then, he sat (2) ______ his brother, who was also studying. When he looked for a pen, he found it (3) ______ the notebooks. Later, he stood quietly (4) ______ the door, listening to the sound outside. While arranging his papers, he discovered a ruler (5) ______ his drawer. Finally, when he finished, he stacked all his files neatly (6) ______ the shelf.

Solution

Answers

(1) on top of; (2) next to; (3) between; (4) in front of; (5) inside; (6) on.

Completed paragraph

Ali was organizing his study desk today. First, he placed his laptop on top of the books so he could start working. Then, he sat next to his brother, who was also studying. When he looked for a pen, he found it between the notebooks. Later, he stood quietly in front of the door, listening to the sound outside. While arranging his papers, he discovered a ruler inside his drawer. Finally, when he finished, he stacked all his files neatly on the shelf.

Reason for each blank

Blank	Answer	Reason
(1)	on top of	placed + a pile (the books): resting on their upper surface
(2)	next to	sat + a person: immediately beside his brother
(3)	between	the notebooks (several things): the pen was in the gap among them
(4)	in front of	stood + the door, listening to the sound outside: facing the door
(5)	inside	discovered + a container (his drawer)
(6)	on	stacked + a surface (the shelf)

Note. The paper prints propositional phrases/compound propositions; it means prepositional phrases/compound prepositions.

2026 Annual I, Old syllabus (Curriculum 2006), Q.1 (6), old syllabus1 mark

The thief ran ______ the room. Choose the correct preposition.

ABetween
BOn
CUnder
DTowardsAnswer

Why

After a verb of motion (ran) we need a preposition of direction. Towards means in the direction of: The thief ran towards the room. Between needs two objects, and on and under show position, not movement, so they make no sense with the room.

Note. Into would also be correct, but it is not an option.

Model paper, Q.1 (iv)1 mark

"Keep going in spite of the setbacks." The underlined preposition is:

Asimple preposition
Bdouble preposition
Ccompound prepositionAnswer
Dparticipial preposition

Why

In spite of is a group of three words working as one preposition (= despite). It is not simple (one word), not double (two prepositions joined, like into), and not participial (an -ing form, like during). FBISE calls such a group a compound preposition.

In Wren and Martin it is a phrase preposition, but that label is not among the options.

Model paper, Q.5 B6 marks

Fill in the blanks with appropriate choice of propositional phrases/compound propositions in the following paragraph:

Box (do not use any phrase twice)
in front of	at the edge of	On the top of	away from	in the morning	by the side of

Over the weekend, our family decided to go for a picnic (1) ______ the lake. We packed our lunch (2) ______ our house and set out early (3) ______ to avoid the afternoon heat. When we arrived (4) ______ the lake, we found a perfect spot underneath a large oak tree. My brother and I played games near the water while our parents set up a picnic (5) ______ a small hill within sight of the lake. It was a peaceful day spent (6) ______ the hustle and bustle of the city.

Solution

Answers

(1) by the side of; (2) in front of; (3) in the morning; (4) at the edge of; (5) on the top of; (6) away from.

Completed paragraph

Over the weekend, our family decided to go for a picnic by the side of the lake. We packed our lunch in front of our house and set out early in the morning to avoid the afternoon heat. When we arrived at the edge of the lake, we found a perfect spot underneath a large oak tree. My brother and I played games near the water while our parents set up a picnic on the top of a small hill within sight of the lake. It was a peaceful day spent away from the hustle and bustle of the city.

Reason for each blank

Blank	Answer	Reason
(1)	by the side of	a picnic spot beside the lake
(2)	in front of	the car was loaded outside, at the front of the house; the only item left that shows a place near a house
(3)	in the morning	set out early and to avoid the afternoon heat point to a time
(4)	at the edge of	arrived + the lake: they reached its border (the shore)
(5)	on the top of	a small hill: the highest point of it
(6)	away from	a peaceful day at a distance from the city's noise

Note. The paper prints propositional phrases/compound propositions; it means prepositional phrases/compound prepositions. The box prints On the top of with a capital O; write it in lower case inside the sentence. On top of is the more common form.

Exam focus

Which sentence correctly uses a compound preposition? (because of / beside / across / near) (mcq)
Asked in 2026 Set D and Set A; the answer is the multi-word preposition.
Go to answer
Name the kind of preposition: in spite of, into, during, beside. (mcq)
Model paper Q.1 (iv) gave simple, double, compound and participial as options.
Go to answer
Q5 B: fill six blanks from a box of seven prepositional phrases. (short)
6 marks on every new-syllabus paper; the method gives full marks in about five minutes.
Go to answer
Position words in Q5 B: on, on top of, inside, between, next to, beside, behind, under, in front of. (short)
All three 2026 Q5 B boxes were built from these words.
Go to answer
Time: at/on/in, for/since, by/until, during/while. (mcq)
Tested in MCQs and needed for time phrases in the Q5 B box and Q5 C.
Go to answer
Movement: across/through/along, into/onto, towards, away from. (mcq)
The 2026 old-syllabus MCQ asked The thief ran ______ the room.
Go to answer
Fixed prepositions: good at, interested in, married to, accused of, insist on, prefer to, superior to, angry with. (mcq)
Frequent MCQ items and common editing errors.
Go to answer
Meanings of phrase prepositions: because of, in spite of, instead of, on behalf of, in accordance with, by means of. (short)
Q5 B boxes mix position phrases with reason and replacement phrases.
Go to answer
Identify the prepositional phrase and say whether it is adjectival or adverbial. (mcq)
Model paper Q.1 (vi), (viii), (ix) and 2026 MCQs test this.
Go to answer