60. A Bit of Grammaring: Straightforward

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Today's post: Practice - Part Two [112]

Use and omission of prepositions

(Adapted from A.J. Thomson & A.V. Martinet, Vol 2)

Insert a preposition if necessary. Choose from at, by, for, in, of, on, past, till/until, to, with.

1   He asked ... his father . . . money.

2   They paid ... me ... the books.

3   I thought he would offer . . . Ann the job, but he offered it. . . me.

4   Keep ... me a place, and keep a place . . . Ann too.

5   They showed ... us photographs . . . their baby.

6   Buying presents . . . children is sometimes very difficult.  ... the end I bought a kite . . . Tom and a torch . . . Ann.

7   Pass the salt. . . your father, Peter, and pass ... me the pepper, please.

8   When you have lunch ... a restaurant, who pays ... the bill?-Oh, each ... us pays . . . what he has had.

9   Paul's a pianist. He sometimes plays . . . us . . . the evening. Last night he played some Chopin.

10   I think I'll be able to find . . . Ann a job. ~ Could you find a job . . . me, too?

11   He sold the picture ... an American dealer . . . £5,000.

12   He promised ... us a share . . . the profits.

13   He built a very nice house . . . Jack . . . only £50,000. I wonder what sort. . . house he would build . . . me . . . £30,000.

14  She is knitting socks . . . refugees. I wish she'd knit... me some socks.

15   Sitting ... the floor isn't exactly comfortable. Throw ... me a cushion, please, Ann.

16   If you are going ... the Post Office, could you buy ... me a book . . . stamps?

17   If you write ... me a song I'll sing it. . . the school concert. I'll get Paul to accompany . . . me . . . the guitar.

18   Could you lend ... us your lawnmower, please?-

I'm afraid you'll have to ask . . . someone else to lend . . . you one. We've lent ours ... Mr Jones and he always keeps it. . . ages.

19  I thought you'd be late . . . dinner, so I ordered some sandwiches

. . . you; they're ... the bar. I haven't paid . . . them: you can pay ... the barman.

20   I explained . . . him that it was the custom . . . England to wash one's car at the weekend.

211 described the machine . . . him and asked . . . him if he could make ... me one like it.

22   She told ... us that she'd been attacked ... the street. We asked

. . . her to describe her attacker and she said he was a tall man ... a limp.

23   He told . . . them to wait. . . him . . . the bridge.

24  I cannot repeat. . . you what she said . . . me . . . confidence.

25   The headmaster warned ... me to work harder. What did he say . . . you, Jack?

26   He advised . . . the strikers to go back . . . work. They received his advice . . . shouts . . . contempt.

27   They don't allow . . . you to smoke . . . cinemas . . . France.

28   He told lies . . . the police. ~

I'm not surprised. He told . . . me a pack . . . lies yesterday

29   This film reminds ... me ... my childhood.

30   I rely . . . you to remind ... me to pay Jack . . . the books he bought . . . me.

31   We must try to get. . . home . . . time . . . tea.

32   We didn't reach Berlin . . . after dark, and had some difficulty . .. finding our hotel.

33   If we say 'The manager showed ... us to our room,' we mean I hat he led ... us .. . the door. If we say, 'He showed ... us I lie room,' we mean that he entered . . . the room ... us.

34   I read . . . him the report. He listened . . . me . . . amazement

35   He ordered ... us to give . . . him all the maps . . . our possession.

36   He suggested ... me that we should offer to pay . . . her . . . dollars.

Part One: Grammaring Key

1.3 The simple sentence: direct and indirect objects

1.3A Subject + verb + indirect object + direct object: 'Show me that photo'

1  Please find them for me.

2  Please buy one for him./Please buy him one.

3  Please pass it to me.

4  Please show it to her.

5  Please do it for me.

6  Please order one for me./Please order me one.

1.3B Verb + object + 'to' + noun or pronoun: 'Explain it to me'

1 this camera to the Customs   2 me to your friend/ your friend to me   3 what you like to me   4 this idea to you   5 his crime to the police   6 this to anyone 7 this man to me   8 this to anyone   9 this to the headmaster   10 what I told you to anyone

1.3C The two meanings of 'for' instead of: 2, 4, 6, 7, 9 // for your/my benefit:   1, 3, 5, 8, 10

1.3D Context

The following need ticks: 1 buy me an expensive uniform   5 write our parents a letter   7 lend anyone anything   8 give help to each other

Part Two: Use and Omission Key

Exercise 112   1 -, for   2 -, for   3-, to   4-, for   5-, of   6 for; In, for, for   7 to, -   8 in/at, -; of, for   9 for/to, in   10 -; for   11 to, for 12 -, of/in   13 for, for; of,-, for   14 for; -   15 on; -   16 to/past, -, of 17 -, at/in; -, on   18-;-,-; to, for   19 for, for, in/at; for, -   20 to, in 21 to, -, -   22 -, in; -, with   23-, for, at/by/on   24 to, to, in   25-; to 26 -, -; with, of   27 -, in, in   28 to;-, of   29-, of   30 on, -, for, for/-31-, in, for   32-, till, in/-   33 -, -, to; -, -, with   34-; to, in/with 35 -, -, in   36 to, -, in