SSC Prepositions Questions with Answers and Rules

Prepositions are small words such as in, on, at, for and with, but they carry many marks in SSC English. They appear in fill in the blanks, error spotting and sentence improvement, so mastering them helps in several question types. This practice paper gives you the main rules and 21 questions with answers and short explanations.

What Is a Preposition?

A preposition is a word that shows the relation of a noun or a pronoun with another word in the sentence. It tells about time, place, direction, cause or manner.

• Time: at 5 pm, on Monday, in March, since 2010, for two years.
• Place: at the door, on the table, in the room, under the bed.
• Movement: into, through, across, over, towards.

Rules and Shortcut Tricks

• At is used for exact times and small points (at 5 pm, at the station). On is used for days and dates (on Monday, on 5 May). In is used for months, years and big areas (in March, in India).
• Since is used with a point of time and for with a period.
• Between is used for two persons or things and among for more than two.
• By shows the doer or a deadline and with shows the tool or the company.
• Learn fixed combinations: good at, fond of, angry with, addicted to, insist on, agree with, jealous of.
• No preposition before go home, reach a place, discuss a topic and enter a room.

Set 1: Time and Place (Q1–Q7)

Q1. The meeting is ___ Monday.
Answer: on
Solution: Days take on.

Q2. She was born ___ March.
Answer: in
Solution: Months take in.

Q3. See you ___ 5 pm.
Answer: at
Solution: Exact time takes at.

Q4. He has been absent ___ last week.
Answer: since
Solution: Last week is a point of time.

Q5. I have lived here ___ ten years.
Answer: for
Solution: Ten years is a period.

Q6. The book is ___ the table.
Answer: on
Solution: The book rests on the surface.

Q7. The cat is hiding ___ the bed.
Answer: under
Solution: Under shows a lower position.

Set 2: Movement and Relation (Q8–Q14)

Q8. He jumped ___ the river.
Answer: into
Solution: Into shows movement to the inside.

Q9. The train passed ___ the tunnel.
Answer: through
Solution: Through shows movement inside from one end to the other.

Q10. She walked ___ the road.
Answer: across
Solution: Across shows movement from one side to the other.

Q11. The bridge is ___ the river.
Answer: over
Solution: Over shows a position above.

Q12. He was standing ___ the two trees.
Answer: between
Trick: Between is used for two.

Q13. She divided the sweets ___ five children.
Answer: among
Trick: Among is used for more than two.

Q14. He sat ___ me in the class.
Answer: beside
Solution: Beside means by the side of.

Set 3: Fixed Combinations (Q15–Q21)

Q15. He is good ___ chess.
Answer: at
Solution: Good at is fixed.

Q16. She is jealous ___ her friend's success.
Answer: of
Solution: Jealous of is fixed.

Q17. He is angry ___ his brother.
Answer: with
Solution: Angry with a person.

Q18. They are fond ___ music.
Answer: of
Solution: Fond of is fixed.

Q19. He is addicted ___ games.
Answer: to
Solution: Addicted to is fixed.

Q20. She insisted ___ paying the bill.
Answer: on
Solution: Insist on is fixed.

Q21. I agree ___ you.
Answer: with
Solution: Agree with a person.

Important Fixed Preposition Combinations

Worked Example: Choosing the Right Preposition

Take the sentence "The teacher divided the prize ___ the three winners." The word three tells you that more than two persons are involved, so the correct preposition is among, not between. In the sentence "He has been working here ___ 2018," the year 2018 is a point of time, so since is correct. If the sentence were "for 2018", it would be wrong because for needs a period such as eight years. This quick check of the words around the blank solves most preposition questions in a few seconds.

Prepositions of Time and Place: Quick Rules

Also learn the fixed combinations such as good at, afraid of, angry with a person, angry at a thing, married to, interested in, and different from. These appear in the fill-in-the-blanks type in every SSC paper.

Common Mistakes in Prepositions

• Using in with days or on with months.
• Using since with a period or for with a point of time.
• Using among for two persons.
• Adding a preposition where none is needed (go to home).
• Learning preposition rules without the fixed combinations.
• Changing a fixed combination (angry at a person instead of with).

How to Practice These 21 Questions

1. Learn the time and place rules first.
2. Make a list of 50 fixed combinations and revise five daily.
3. Practise preposition sets of 10 questions.
4. Review mistakes after a day.

Related Topics to Study Next

• Fill in the Blanks Questions
• Error Detection Questions
• Subject-Verb Agreement Questions
• SSC English Practice Set

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a preposition?

It is a word that shows the relation between a noun or pronoun and another word, such as time, place or direction.

What is the difference between in, on and at?

At is for exact times and small places, on is for days and surfaces, and in is for months, years and large areas.

What is the difference between since and for?

Since is used with a point of time and for is used with a period of time.

What is the difference between between and among?

Between is used for two persons or things and among for more than two.

Which preposition follows good, fond and jealous?

Good at, fond of and jealous of.

Which preposition follows angry?

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

Do we use a preposition with home?

No. We say go home, not go to home.

What is the difference between by and with?

By shows the doer or a deadline, and with shows the tool or the company.

How many preposition questions come in SSC exams?

Three to five questions in fill in the blanks and error spotting.

How can I remember fixed combinations?

Learn them in groups and write one sentence for each.

Is it correct to end a sentence with a preposition?

In spoken English it is common. In exams, follow the standard rule of the question.

How should I prepare prepositions for SSC exams?

Learn the rules, practise sets daily and revise mistakes.