Common Prepositional Phrases — English Grammar Exercises
by mistake, on time, in advance — get the preposition right every time
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What are fixed prepositional phrases?
Some common expressions always use the same preposition. They don't follow a logical rule — you simply learn each one as a whole unit.
Phrases with "by"
by chance, by accident, by mistake, by heart, by hand, by far
✅ I met an old friend by chance.
✅ She learned the poem by heart.
Phrases with "on"
on time, on purpose, on foot, on holiday, on sale, on average
✅ The train left exactly on time.
✅ They went to work on foot.
Phrases with "in"
in the end, in time, in fact, in a hurry, in advance, in general
✅ In the end, we decided to stay home.
✅ Book the tickets in advance.
Phrases with "out of"
out of order, out of date, out of breath, out of stock
✅ The lift is out of order again.
✅ This map is out of date.
Phrases with "at"
at first, at last, at least, at once, at the moment
✅ At first I didn't like it, but now I love it.
✅ At last, the bus arrived!
Confusable pairs
| on time | punctual — exactly at the scheduled moment |
| in time | early enough — before something starts |
| at the end (of...) | at the final point of something specific |
| in the end | finally, eventually |
Common mistakes
| ❌ | ✅ |
|---|---|
| We went to work in foot. | We went to work on foot. |
| At the end, we agreed. (meaning eventually) | In the end, we agreed. |
| The bus was by time. | The bus was on time. |
| I'm on a hurry. | I'm in a hurry. |
| The machine is off order. | The machine is out of order. |
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I found this old photo ___ chance while cleaning the attic.
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by
'By chance' is a fixed phrase meaning 'accidentally, not planned'.
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The meeting started exactly ___ time.
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on
'On time' is a fixed phrase meaning 'punctual, at the scheduled moment'.
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We argued for a while, but ___ the end we agreed.
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in
'In the end' is a fixed phrase meaning 'finally, eventually'.
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The coffee machine is ___ order again.
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out of
'Out of order' is a fixed phrase meaning 'not working'.
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___ first I didn't like the city, but now I love it.
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At
'At first' is a fixed phrase meaning 'in the beginning'.
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The actor knew all his lines ___ heart.
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by
'By heart' is a fixed phrase meaning 'memorised perfectly'.
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It's not far — let's go ___ foot.
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on
'On foot' is a fixed phrase meaning 'walking'.
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Sorry, I can't talk now — I'm ___ a hurry.
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in
'In a hurry' is a fixed phrase meaning 'rushing, with little time'.
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We waited and waited, and ___ last the show began.
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at
'At last' is a fixed phrase meaning 'finally, after a long wait'.
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They are ___ holiday in Italy this week.
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on
'On holiday' is a fixed phrase — the preposition is always 'on'.
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He looks young, but ___ fact he's almost fifty.
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in
'In fact' is a fixed phrase used to add real or surprising information.
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I sent the message to the wrong person ___ mistake.
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by
'By mistake' is a fixed phrase meaning 'accidentally, in error'.
Common Prepositional Phrases: Complete Reference Guide
Fixed prepositional phrases — sometimes called prepositional collocations — are combinations where the preposition is determined by convention, not grammar rules. Analysis of the Cambridge Learner Corpus shows that preposition errors are the most frequent single error category in B1–B2 learner writing, accounting for roughly 20% of all mistakes. Unlike verb tenses, there is no underlying logic that tells you whether to say 'by mistake' or 'on mistake': the phrase must be learned as a fixed unit. These 45 questions across 3 practice blocks group the most common phrases by preposition, then target the confusable pairs that generate the most errors.
By-Phrases — Manner and Means
'By' in fixed phrases typically expresses how something happens — the means or manner of an action.
by accident — not on purpose
by chance — unexpectedly, without planning
by heart — from memory, without reading
by hand — manually, not by machine
Note that 'by mistake' and 'by accident' are near-synonyms — both describe unintentional actions. Their opposites are 'on purpose' and 'deliberately'.
On-Phrases — State and Activity
'On' in fixed phrases often describes a current state, an ongoing activity, or a scheduled condition.
on purpose — intentionally
on fire — burning
on sale — at a discounted price
on the phone — currently in a call
on business — travelling or acting for work purposes
In-Phrases — Condition and Situation
'In' phrases frequently describe a state, condition, or abstract situation someone or something is in.
in charge of — responsible for, leading
in danger — at risk
in a hurry — rushed, needing to go quickly
in common — shared by both or all
in trouble — having problems
Notice that 'in charge' always takes 'of': the thing you are responsible for must follow. Saying 'in charge about' or 'in charge for' is a common error.
Out-of-Phrases — Absence and Failure
'Out of' phrases consistently express the absence or exhaustion of something, or a state of non-function.
out of order — not working, broken
out of stock — not available, sold out
out of work — unemployed
out of the question — absolutely impossible
A frequent error is substituting 'from' for 'of': 'out from date', 'out from order'. The correct two-word preposition is always 'out of'.
At-Phrases and For-Phrases
at once — immediately, right now
at first — in the beginning (implies things changed later)
for free — without payment, at no cost
for good — permanently, forever
for sale — available to buy
Common Mistakes
✗ He did it with purpose. → ✓ He did it on purpose.
✗ She is in charge about the project. → ✓ She is in charge of the project.
✗ The lift is out from order. → ✓ The lift is out of order.
✗ She told me at advance. → ✓ She told me in advance.
✗ She arrived in time — exactly at 9 as planned. → ✓ She arrived on time — exactly at 9 as planned.
✗ These jackets are for sale — 50% off! → ✓ These jackets are on sale — 50% off!
✗ At the end, we decided to stay home. → ✓ In the end, we decided to stay home.
Confusable Pairs: The Hardest Cases
Several prepositional phrases look similar but carry distinct meanings. Research from the English Profile Programme identifies 'on time' vs 'in time' and 'for sale' vs 'on sale' as two of the ten most error-prone lexical pairs at A2–B1 level.
| Phrase | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| on time | punctual, at the scheduled moment | The bus arrived on time. |
| in time | not too late, with time to spare | We arrived just in time to catch the train. |
| for sale | available to buy (any price) | Is this house for sale? |
| on sale | at a discounted price | Winter coats are on sale — 40% off. |
| at the end | the final point of something specific (+ of) | At the end of the film, everyone cried. |
| in the end | eventually, after deliberation (no 'of') | In the end, we stayed home. |
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between 'on time' and 'in time'?
'On time' means punctual — at the exact scheduled moment: 'The train arrived on time.' 'In time' means not too late — with enough time to spare, often implying it was a close call: 'We arrived in time to catch the last train.' A useful test: if you can replace the phrase with 'punctually', use 'on time'. If you can replace it with 'just in time' or 'before it was too late', use 'in time'.
What is the difference between 'for sale' and 'on sale'?
'For sale' means available to buy at its normal price: 'Is this house for sale?' 'On sale' means available at a reduced, discounted price: 'Winter coats are on sale — 40% off.' In British English, 'on sale' can also simply mean 'available in shops', but in the context of a discount, both British and American English use 'on sale'.
Why do we say 'by mistake' but 'on purpose'?
These are fixed idiomatic expressions with no logical rule — they must be learned as units. 'By mistake' and 'by accident' both describe unintentional actions ('by' here expresses manner or means). 'On purpose' describes intentional action ('on' here is part of a fixed set phrase). Speakers of Russian often confuse these because the Russian phrase «по ошибке» (by mistake) and «намеренно» (on purpose) do not map onto English prepositions predictably.
What is the difference between 'at the end' and 'in the end'?
'At the end' requires 'of' and refers to the final point of a specific, identifiable thing: 'At the end of the film, everyone cried.' 'In the end' means eventually or after a long process of deliberation — no 'of' follows: 'In the end, we decided to stay home.' A simple test: if you can follow it with 'of [something]', use 'at'. If it means 'eventually' or 'after everything', use 'in'.
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