Prepositions in Idiomatic Expressions
Prepositional idioms can be incredibly tricky because they often defy literal translation or standard grammar rules. For example, why do we say a project is held in abeyance rather than on abeyance, or that someone succeeded by dint of hard work instead of with dint? Mastering these fixed combinations is essential for achieving a natural, advanced level of English fluency.
This challenge tests your knowledge of fixed prepositional phrases used in high-level and dramatic contexts. You will encounter advanced idioms such as operating under the auspices of an organization, acting at the behest of someone, or finding yourself in the throes of a chaotic situation. You will also need to spot incorrect preposition usage, such as confusing in the offing with on the offing, or knowing the exact phrasing when something is completely out of kilter or beyond the pale.
You will work through 10 questions featuring a mix of single-choice, multi-choice, drop-down, and drag-and-drop formats to help a cast of characters—from eccentric scientists to cunning art thieves—complete their sentences.
Try the quiz to check your knowledge!
Complete the supervillain's frustrated diary entry with the correct preposition.
Due to the unexpected thunderstorm, my glorious plan for world domination will be held _____ abeyance until next Tuesday.
The correct answer is in.
The correct idiom is "in abeyance," meaning a state of temporary disuse, suspension, or inactivity. We say that a plan, rule, or decision is "held in abeyance" or "falls into abeyance."
The correct answers are in, by, and beyond.
in the offing means likely to happen or appear soon.
by dint of means as a result of or by means of something.
beyond the pale means completely unacceptable or inappropriate.
Choose the correct preposition to complete the investigative journalist's report.
The shocking study claiming that chocolate cake is a superfood was conducted entirely _____ the auspices of the International Bakery Association.
The correct answer is under.
The standard idiomatic phrase is "under the auspices of," which means with the help, support, or protection of a particular organization or person. Even though the study was conducted by the association, the specific noun "auspices" strictly pairs with the preposition "under."
The correct answers are out of, at, and under.
out of kilter means not working properly or out of balance.
at odds with means in conflict or disagreement with something.
under the auspices of means with the protection, backing, or support of a particular organization or person.
Help the baffled lawyer read the eccentric billionaire's final will by dragging the correct prepositions into the idiomatic expressions.
"The entire estate shall be liquidated at the behest of my pet parrot, Captain Squawks. Furthermore, by dint of his exceptional loyalty, my butler will receive the mansion, much to the detriment of my ungrateful nephews."
"The entire estate shall be liquidated at the behest of my pet parrot..."
At the behest of is a formal idiom meaning "because someone has asked or ordered you to do something."
"...Furthermore, by dint of his exceptional loyalty..."
By dint of is an advanced expression meaning "as a result of" or "by means of."
"...much to the detriment of my ungrateful nephews."
To the detriment of means "in a way that is harmful or disadvantageous to" someone or something.
The correct sentences are The lead actor's ad-libbing was completely beyond the pale and The director resigned under a cloud of suspicion after the disastrous opening night.
Idiom Breakdown:
- Beyond the pale uses the preposition beyond and means unacceptable or outside agreed standards of decency.
- Under a cloud uses the preposition under and means suspected of having done something wrong.
- The incorrect idiom on the offing should be in the offing (meaning likely to happen soon).
- The incorrect idiom against odds with is a mix-up; it should be at odds with (meaning in conflict or disagreement).
Complete the exhausted theater director's notes after a truly disastrous dress rehearsal by dragging the correct prepositions into place.
"The lead actor's cheerful performance was completely at odds with the tragic tone of the play. We are currently in the throes of a production crisis, and frankly, the lighting technician's excuses are completely beyond the pale!"
"...performance was completely at odds with the tragic tone..."
To be at odds with something means to be in conflict, disagreement, or inconsistent with it.
"We are currently in the throes of a production crisis..."
To be in the throes of something means to be struggling in the middle of a very difficult, painful, or complex situation.
"...the lighting technician's excuses are completely beyond the pale!"
If something is beyond the pale, it is completely unacceptable or outside the bounds of agreed standards of decency.
The correct sentences are The previous valedictorian passed this grueling syntax class purely by dint of sheer perseverance and The reading list was drastically shortened at the behest of the university dean.
Idiom Breakdown:
- By dint of means "by means of" or "as a result of."
- At the behest of means "under the command or request of."
- The phrase On lieu of is incorrect; the proper idiom is in lieu of (meaning "instead of").
- The phrase for the detriment of is incorrect; the proper idiom is to the detriment of (meaning "causing harm or damage to").
Help the exhausted student complete her triumphant text message by choosing the correct preposition.
I managed to pass the dreaded quantum mechanics final _____ dint of sheer luck and an unhealthy amount of espresso!
The correct answer is by.
The fixed idiomatic expression is "by dint of," which means "by means of" or "as a result of." It is a formal, C2-level phrase often used to emphasize the effort, force, or method used to achieve something.
The correct phrases are by the skin of her teeth, in the nick of time, and without a hitch.
Idiom Breakdown:
- By the skin of one's teeth means to only just succeed in doing something. Using with is a common but incorrect guess.
- In the nick of time means at the last possible moment. Using on is grammatically incorrect for this specific idiom.
- Without a hitch means smoothly and with no problems.
Phrase
In grammar, a phrase is a group of words (sometimes a single word) that functions as a single unit in a sentence — but doesn't include a subject + verb pair the way a clause does. Common types: noun phrase (the old red car), verb phrase (has been running), prepositional phrase (on the table), adjective phrase (incredibly tired), adverb phrase (very quickly).
Phrases are the building blocks between individual words and full clauses. Recognising them helps you see how sentences hold together — and where you can break, expand, or rearrange them without losing meaning.
Preposition
A preposition is a small word that links a noun or noun phrase to other parts of the sentence — usually marking time, place, or relationship: in, on, at, to, from, with, over, under, between, during. The book on the table, We met at noon, She lives in Berlin.
Prepositions are deceptively small. Their meaning shifts dramatically by collocation (depend on, good at, afraid of), and their choice rarely translates directly between languages. Picking the right preposition is one of the trickiest, most idiomatic-sounding parts of English.
Sentence
A sentence is the largest grammatical unit in writing — one or more clauses expressing a complete thought, ending with a period, question mark, or exclamation mark. English sentences come in four structural types: simple (one independent clause), compound (two or more independent clauses joined), complex (independent + dependent clause), and compound-complex (multiple independent + dependent clauses).
Mastering sentence types is what lets you vary rhythm in writing. All-simple sentences read as choppy; all-complex sentences read as dense. Mixing them is what makes prose breathe.
Collocations
Collocations are combinations of words that habitually occur together in a fixed order — make a decision (not do a decision), strong coffee (not powerful coffee), heavy rain (not thick rain). The grammar would allow either pairing, but native speakers consistently pick one and reject the other. Common patterns include verb + noun, adjective + noun, adverb + adjective, and adverb + verb.
Learning vocabulary as collocations rather than isolated words is the single fastest way to sound natural in English. It's the difference between I made a big mistake and I did a big mistake — small, but immediately noticeable.
Idiom
An idiom is a fixed expression whose meaning isn't predictable from the words it contains. Kick the bucket doesn't mean physically kicking a bucket — it means to die. Spill the beans means to reveal a secret. It's raining cats and dogs means it's pouring rain. The cultural meaning has fully replaced the literal one.
English is dense with idioms, and recognising them is the difference between feeling lost in a casual conversation and following along easily. They can't usually be translated word-for-word into other languages — they have to be learned as whole units, like vocabulary.
C2 | Proficiency
C2 is the highest level in the CEFR framework — the proficiency stage, where your English is nearly indistinguishable from a well-educated native speaker's. C2 users handle irony, understatement, and idiomatic range across any register, and they reformulate ideas under pressure without losing fluency.
C2 is less about learning new grammar and more about mastering the flexible, context-sensitive use of everything you already know. Most learners never reach C2 — and most don't need to. Knowing the level helps you set realistic goals: B2 or C1 is plenty for almost any practical purpose.
Difficulty: Hard
The Hard difficulty tag marks questions and challenges aimed at upper-intermediate to advanced learners — typically B2 and above. Expect interacting rules, edge cases, distractors that look right at first glance, and contexts where the surface meaning and the grammatical answer don't match.
Filter by Hard when you're past the basics and want material that genuinely tests your understanding. These questions catch the gaps your textbook didn't — register-sensitive choices, exception cases, mixed conditionals, the difference between would have been and had been.