1. Preposition review.

An illustration of the opening scene of the novel Moby Dick. People are standing at a dock looking at the water and a sailing ship.

Choose the correct prepositions to complete the first passage of Moby Dick.

2. Dependent prepositions.

Record the complete sentence with the correct option.

Choose the correct option.

3. Dependent prepositions.

Certain verbs are always followed by specific prepositions. These are called dependent prepositions. For example, depend on.

Some verbs take different prepositions, but the meaning changes slightly depending on which preposition is used. For example:

We laugh at a funny thing or person.
We laugh about a funny situation.

We think of ideas.
We think about a situation.


Type in the missing prepositions to complete the sentences.

For more information about describing dependent prepositions see the Grammar Reference.

4. Preposition practice.

Play the sentence casino game. Are the sentences grammatically correct or incorrect?

  • You start with 20 points.
  • Decide how many points you want to bet.
  • When you are correct, you win double the points.
  • When you are incorrect, you lose the points.

How many points can you win?

5. Whenever.

Whenever I find myself growing grim about the mouth; whenever it is a damp, drizzly November in my soul; whenever I find myself involuntarily pausing before coffin warehouses, and bringing up the rear of every funeral I meet; and especially whenever my hypos get such an upper hand of me,...

Whenever means "every time" or "any time".


Put the words in order to complete more sentences with the word whenever.

6. Whoever, whatever, however.

There are free tickets for whoever wants to come. (whoever = any person; pronoun)

Whoever told you that? (whoever = who; pronoun, expressing surpise)

You can do whatever you want. (whatever = anything; pronoun)

There is no evidence whatever to prove what you are saying. (whatever/whatsoever = at all; adverb)

However did you get the door open? It was jammed. (however = how; adverb)

Put the words in order to complete these sentences that contain the words whoever, whatever, whatsoever and however.

7. Describing habitual behaviour.

Look at the examples from Moby Dick, describing habitual behaviour.
Now, when I say that I am in the habit of going to sea whenever I begin to grow hazy about the eyes,...
Again, I always go to sea as a sailor, because they make a point of paying me for my trouble...

Read the text below and drag the different phrases describing habitual behaviour to the box.
(Hint: There are 12.)

8. Describing habitual behaviour.

A photo of teenagers in a cinema.

Match the sentences to the structures.

9. Habitual behaviour: Practice.

Write in one word in each space to complete the sentences. (Hint: You can double-click or double-tap on the space to see the first letter of the missing word.)

For more information about describing habitual behaviour see the Grammar Reference.