(a) There’s a black cat sitting __________ the wall. (b) The horse jumped __________ the hedge. (c) Mother goes __________ the market every day. (d) Several people have climbed Mount Everest __________ recent years. (e) I often go to school __________ my friend. (f) I have left my keys __________ home. (g) Instead of talking, prove your worth __________ doing something. (h) I have not slept __________ yesterday.

(a) on (b) over (c) to (d) in (e) with (f) at (g) by (h) since

HOW THE 4 MARKS ARE AWARDED: half a mark per blank.

Blank by blank, with the rule behind each: (a) ON the wall — sitting on a surface. "Over" would mean above without touching. (b) OVER the hedge — from one side to the other, across the top. Jumping "on" a hedge is a different and unhappy event. (c) TO the market — movement towards a destination takes TO. Use IN or AT for position, TO for direction. (d) IN recent years — use IN for a period (in 2019, in March, in recent years), ON for a day, AT for a point in time. (e) WITH my friend — accompaniment. (f) AT home — fixed. Note there is no article: "at home", never "at the home". The same applies to at school, at work. (g) BY doing something — BY expresses the means or method, and it is followed by the -ing form. (h) SINCE yesterday — use SINCE with a POINT in time, FOR with a DURATION. The present perfect "have not slept" requires one of them.

The pairs worth memorising from this set: to/at for direction and position, in/on/at for time, since/for with the present perfect.