Choose the right preposition 6
✓ Useful for TOEIC
✓ Useful for Cambridge BEC
💡 Top tips
Common business collocations with 'in', 'on', and 'at'
'In' is used with companies and industries: 'She works in finance.' 'On' is used with committees and projects: 'He's on the board.' 'At' refers to specific organizations: 'I work at Google.'
Prepositions of time: 'in', 'on', 'by', 'until'
Use 'by' for deadlines (completed no later than): 'Please submit by Friday.' Use 'until' for duration (continuing up to a point): 'The offer is valid until Friday.' These are frequently confused in professional writing.
Avoid common preposition errors with verbs
Common correct collocations: 'agree on' (a decision), 'agree with' (a person), 'deal with' (a problem), 'result in' (a consequence), 'depend on' (a factor). These fixed combinations are best memorized as complete units.
Common business collocations with 'in', 'on', and 'at'
'In' is used with companies and industries: 'She works in finance.' 'On' is used with committees and projects: 'He's on the board.' 'At' refers to specific organizations: 'I work at Google.'
Prepositions of time: 'in', 'on', 'by', 'until'
Use 'by' for deadlines (completed no later than): 'Please submit by Friday.' Use 'until' for duration (continuing up to a point): 'The offer is valid until Friday.' These are frequently confused in professional writing.
Avoid common preposition errors with verbs
Common correct collocations: 'agree on' (a decision), 'agree with' (a person), 'deal with' (a problem), 'result in' (a consequence), 'depend on' (a factor). These fixed combinations are best memorized as complete units.
READY TO PRACTICE? LET’S GO!
These exercises will help you to practice using prepositions in a Business English context and can be used to to prepare for the Test of English for International Communication (TOEIC) and the Business English Certificate (BEC). Choose the best response to complete each of the sentences below.
1. We have spent the last two weeks searching __________________________ a new web designer.
Correct answer: for — Search for something is the standard collocation.
2. It'll be a while __________________________ we start being profitable.
Correct answer: A or C — Until and before are both correct here in meaning.
3. __________________________ the end of next year, we will have made $100,000.
Correct answer: By — By = at the latest (deadline); until = up to that point.
4. Are we all __________________________ the same page? = Do we all agree?
Correct answer: on — Fixed expression: on the same page.
5. These candy bars account _________________ about 70% of our sales.
Correct answer: for — Account for = represent a proportion of.
6. To sell something for less than you paid for it = To sell something _______________________ cost
Correct answer: below — Under and below both mean less than — both are correct here.
7. How do we go _______________________ doing this? = What steps should we take in order to do this?
Correct answer: about — Fixed expression: go about doing something = approach/tackle.
8. I take a lot of pride __________________________ this company. = I'm very proud of this company.
Correct answer: in — Take pride in something is the standard collocation.
9. Our air conditioners cost around $1,000, __________________________ our competitors' air conditioners cost at least $2,000.
Correct answer: while — While introduces a contrasting parallel clause.
10. I'll see you _________________________ the conference!
Correct answer: at — See someone at an event is standard.
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