Grammar revision exercises

A. Gap-Filling
I. Fill in the gap with an appropriate preposition
a. Last night I was (1................) the kitchen when I lost my glasses. I looked (2...............) all the shelves and (3...............) all the cupboards. I thought I’d put them (4.............) one of the drawers which are(5.................), but they weren’t there. They certainly weren’t (6..................) the table or (7..................) the floor. Had I left them (8.................) work? Were they (9...............) the car? Then I realized where they were. They were (10................) my nose.
b. I am fed up (11...........) this weather! Where’s the sunshine gone?
I haven’t heard (12...........) Mary for ages. I am a bit worried (13.................) her.
Are you good (14..............) literature? I am bad (15...........) it.

II.
I arrived (1.........) London at last. The railway station was big , black (2,.......) dark. I did (3.............) know the way to my hotel, so I asked a porter. I not only spoke English very carefully , but very clearly as (4...........) The porter, however, couldn’t understand (5...............). I repeated my questions several times and (6.........) last he understood. He answered me neither slowly nor clearly.” I am a foreigner” I said. Then he (7................) slowly, but I couldn’t understand him. My teacher never spoke English like that. The porter and (8..............) looked at each other (9...........) smiled. Then he said : “ you will soon learn English” he said. In England, each man speaks different language. The English understand each other, but I don’t understand (10........) ! Do they speak English?

III.
Trees are useful (1......) man in three important ways: They provide him (2.........) wood and other products: they gave him shade. And they help (3.....) prevent droughts and floods. Unfortunately, (4.............) many parts of the world, man has not realized that the third of these services is (5..........) most important.
Two thousand years (6................) a rich and powerful country cut down its trees to (7...................) warships, with which to gain itself and empire. It (8.....................) the empire , but without its trees, its soil (9..............) hard and poor. When the empire feel to pieces, the home country found itself faced by floods and starvation.
So, unless the government has a good system (10.................) control, or can educate the people, the forests will slowly disappear.


IV.
Postcards always spoil my holidays. Last summer, I went (1............) Italy. I (2............) museums and sat (3......................) public gardens. A friendly water (4................) me (5....................) few words (6.................) Italian. Then he lent (7...........) a book. I read a (8................) lines, (9................) I did not understand a word. Every day I thought (10..................) postcards. My holidays (11................) quickly, but I did not send any cards (12...................) my friends. On the last day I (13.................) a big decision. I got up early and bought thirty seven cards. I ( 14................) the whole day in my room, but did not write a (15...............) card!

V.
This country has a population (1..................) about 45 million. Of these, 76 percent (2..................) black and 12 percent are white. It has (3.................) warm climate. Either it never rains, (4......................) it rains a lot! It is (5.....................) world’s biggest producer of gold, and it exports diamonds, (6.....................). It grows a (7.................) of fruit, including oranges, pears and it makes wine. In the game reserves you can (8................) a lot of wildlife , including lions, zebras, and elephants.

VI.
Andrea came (1................) Acapulco to New York ten years (2....................) . At (3...................) he missed everything . But now he (4..................) a successful business (5...........................) his brothers. He is living with his (6.....................) and two children (7....................) go to American school . He certainly works hard . He’s (8.............) the store all day, then works (9.................) a driver in the evening. He can earn a (10...........) of money here.

VII.
The big tree at my gate was old and beautiful. I was saddened when it blew (1....................) in a winter storm. After the storm I sawed (2...............) the remains of the tree to level (3...................) the ground. Some of the wood was rotten. Pieces came away in my (4..........................) But a good part of the wood was alive and strong. I did not dig (5.......................) the roots of the tree. I (6.......................) them in the ground.
Three months (7......................) , in spring, the old tree began to grow again.