English Mastery
Module 5 · Articles & Prepositions

Grand Review & Practice Tests

All1 h 15 min38 questions5 sections
Extra

The Article Decision Tree — Three Questions

QuestionAnswerArticle
Q1: Is it general — a whole class, an abstract idea, a plain proper noun?Yes (Water is precious / Honesty / India / Diwali)ZERO
Q2: Does the listener know WHICH one? (second mention, shared context, unique, superlative, only/first/same)Yes (the gate, the sun, the best plot, the same lawyer)THE
Q3: Otherwise — introducing one of many?First sound is a consonant soundA
First sound is a vowel sound (an hour, an MBA)AN
The article decision tree — three questions
1Is it GENERAL?whole class · abstract idea · plain proper noun2Does the listener know WHICH one?2nd mention · shared context · unique · best / only / first3Otherwise — introducing one of manylisten to the FIRST SOUND of the next wordNONOYESØZERO ARTICLEWater is precious · HonestyIndia · DiwaliYESTHEA KNOWN ONEthe gate · the sunthe best plot · the same lawyerACONSONANT SOUNDa plot · a universityANVOWEL SOUNDan hour · an MBA
Always ask in this order: general? known? — otherwise it is a / an, chosen by the first SOUND.
Extra

The Preposition Master Table

JobATONIN
Position (Ch 4)a point: at the gate, at the cornera surface: on the wall, on the 3rd floora container: in the drawer, in the photo
Location (Ch 6)post/event/address: at work, at a weddingwalkable transport, streets: on the bus, on GT Roadenclosed + cities: in the car, in Ghaziabad
Time (Ch 7)clock points: at 5, at noon, at nightdays & dates: on Monday, on 15th Augustbigger units: in July, in 2026, in the morning
Five rules that solve most article–preposition confusion:
  1. Articles: general zero; known-which-one the; introducing a/an by SOUND, not spelling.
  2. The walk-test: stand-and-walk transport on; bent-sitting transport in. Home takes at (and no ‘to’ with go/come/reach).
  3. The zero-time club: today, tomorrow, yesterday, last/next/this/every + time no preposition.
  4. BY = deadline; UNTIL = continuing state. For + length; since + starting point.
  5. The direct club takes nothing: discuss, enter, reach, marry, resemble, attend, answer. Pronouns go INSIDE separable phrasal verbs: turn it off.
The preposition master poster
ATEXACT POINTONSURFACE OR LINEININSIDE OR BIGGER POSITIONCh 4a pointat the gateat the cornera surfaceon the wallon the 3rd floora containerin the drawerin the photo LOCATIONCh 6post · event · addressat workat a weddingtransport · streetson the buson GT Roadenclosed · citiesin the carin Ghaziabad TIMECh 7clock pointsat 5 · at noonat nightAUG15days & dateson Mondayon 15th August bigger unitsin July · in 2026in the morning
One logic, three jobs: AT = a point, ON = a surface or line, IN = a container or bigger unit.
Step 3

Practice Test 1 — Articles & Prepositions Mixed (20 questions)

Test

Practice Test 1 — Articles & Prepositions Mixed (20 questions)

0 / 20

Fill each blank with a, an, the, a preposition, or nothing (—).

  1. 1
    He is honest broker with MBA from Delhi. (three blanks)
  2. 2
    sun was setting when we reached the site. (two blanks — careful with the second)
  3. 3
    The meeting is Monday 11 a.m. (two blanks)
  4. 4
    She is the metro; she’ll be home by 8. (two blanks)
  5. 5
    water is precious; don’t waste water in the tanker. (two blanks: general, then specific)
  6. 6
    The originals are the locker the third floor. (two blanks)
  7. 7
    We have been waiting the NOC August. (two blanks)
  8. 8
    He walked the cabin and put the file the table. (two blanks)
  9. 9
    Submit the papers Friday; the counter stays open 4 p.m. (two blanks)
  10. 10
    She played tabla at Diwali function. (two blanks)
  11. 11
    They arrived Dehradun and checked in a hotel near the clock tower. (two blanks)
  12. 12
    He goes to office every morning by metro. (two blanks — careful)
  13. 13
    This is best unit the whole tower. (two blanks)
  14. 14
    I’ll call you tomorrow the evening. (two blanks — careful)
  15. 15
    The plot lies the school and the temple, Meerut Road. (two blanks)
  16. 16
    He has been hospital Tuesday. (two blanks: as a patient, then start point)
  17. 17
    rich are investing land again. (two blanks)
  18. 18
    It rained the ceremony two full hours. (two blanks)
  19. 19
    We crossed Yamuna and drove Haridwar. (two blanks: river, then destination)
  20. 20
    The guard has been the gate 6 a.m. (two blanks)
Step 4

Practice Test 2 — Fix It & Translate It (18 questions)

Set A

Each sentence has one or two errors. Rewrite it correctly. (10)

0 / 10
  1. 1
    He is studying in an university and doing a MBA side by side.
  2. 2
    I am in the bus; I will reach at home in a hour.
  3. 3
    The meeting is in Monday at the morning.
  4. 4
    She got married with a doctor and shifted to the Canada.
  5. 5
    We discussed about the price and entered into the cabin to sign. (one error only — find it)
  6. 6
    Please turn off it and pick up me at 6.
  7. 7
    The documents are on the drawer, among the two files.
  8. 8
    I have been waiting for you since two hours on the bus stop.
  9. 9
    He gave up to smoke and cut down at sweets.
  10. 10
    The Ganga flows through the India towards Bay of Bengal. (two errors)
Set B

Translate into English. (8)

0 / 8
  1. 11
    वह एक ईमानदार आदमी है और एक university में पढ़ाता है।
  2. 12
    चाबियाँ दराज़ में हैं और नक्शा दीवार पर है।
  3. 13
    meeting सोमवार सुबह ग्यारह बजे है।
  4. 14
    मैं bus में हूँ... मतलब, bus से आ रहा हूँ; घर पहुँचकर फ़ोन करता हूँ।
  5. 15
    शुक्रवार तक payment कर दो, offer महीने के अंत तक खुला है।
  6. 16
    वह मुझसे नाराज़ है क्योंकि मैंने उसका इंतज़ार नहीं किया।
  7. 17
    बत्ती बंद कर दो और form भरकर जमा कर दो। (pronoun + दो phrasal verbs)
  8. 18
    सौदा गिर गया क्योंकि ख़रीदार आख़िरी वक़्त पर मुकर गया।
Step 5

Answer Keys

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Answers · Test 1
1
an ... an ... — (zero)
2
The ... — (reached the site: reach takes nothing)
3
on ... at
4
on ... at
5
— Water ... the
6
in ... on
7
for ... since
8
into ... on (onto)
9
by ... until
10
the ... the
11
in ... at
12
— (the) office ... — (every morning: zero club)
13
the ... in
14
— tomorrow ... in
15
between ... on
16
in ... since
17
The ... in
18
during ... for
19
the ... to (towards)
20
at ... since
Answers · Test 2

Part A

1
He is studying at a university and doing an MBA side by side. (‘Yoo’ a; ‘em’ an.)
2
I am on the bus; I will reach home in an hour. (Walk-test on; reach takes nothing; silent h an.)
3
The meeting is on Monday in the morning. (Day on; part of day in.)
4
She got married to a doctor and shifted to Canada. (Married TO; plain country zero.)
5
We discussed the price and entered the cabin to sign. (Discuss — direct club. ‘Entered the cabin’ is also direct — but the original’s only REQUIRED fix is ‘discussed about’ ‘discussed’; ‘entered into the cabin’ is the second error. Both corrected here.)
6
Please turn it off and pick me up at 6. (Pronouns inside.)
7
The documents are in the drawer, between the two files. (Container in; two between.)
8
I have been waiting for you for two hours at the bus stop. (Length for; point at.)
9
He gave up smoking and cut down on sweets. (Particle gerund; cut down ON.)
10
The Ganga flows through India towards the Bay of Bengal. (Plain country zero; seas/bays the.)
Answers · Test 2

Part B

11
He is an honest man and teaches at a university.
12
The keys are in the drawer and the map is on the wall.
13
The meeting is on Monday morning at eleven. / The meeting is at 11 a.m. on Monday.
14
I’m on the bus; I’ll call you when I reach home.
15
Pay by Friday; the offer is open until the end of the month.
16
He is angry with me because I didn’t wait for him.
17
Turn it off, and fill in the form and hand it in. / Switch it off; fill the form in and submit it at the counter.
18
The deal fell through because the buyer backed out at the last moment.

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Next up · Module 6 · Chapter 1Countable vs. Uncountable Nouns

Module 5 complete. The two smallest word-families in English are now under your control. One module remains: Module 6 — Mini Grammar Essentials — fourteen precision chapters from the subjunctive to the 200-verb irregular master list.