Manner and Purpose Phrases - Advanced Exercises

Complete each sentence by typing the correct prepositional phrase from the three options shown in parentheses. Pay close attention to the subtle differences between similar phrases.

1. She ended up in the wrong city because she boarded the wrong train _____. (by accident / by chance / at random)

2. I discovered this amazing restaurant completely _____. I was just walking past. (by mistake / by chance / in vain)

3. The protesters marched through the city centre _____, chanting and waving banners. (on foot / on purpose / on behalf of)

4. The police selected houses for inspection _____ to ensure fairness. (in a hurry / by heart / at random)

5. He ignored the doctor's advice _____ and continued smoking. He simply didn't care. (by mistake / in vain / on purpose)

6. I packed my bag _____ and forgot to bring my passport. (in a hurry / in vain / at random)

7. The students recited the poem _____ without looking at their books. (by chance / at random / by heart)

8. Rescue teams searched for survivors _____ for three days before finding anyone. (in vain / in a hurry / by heart)

9. I gave the waiter a £50 note _____ instead of a £5 note. I didn't notice until later. (by mistake / by chance / on purpose)

10. He chose not to take the lift and climbed ten floors _____. He wanted the exercise. (on foot / in a hurry / in vain)

11. We looked everywhere for the lost ring, but _____. It had fallen down a drain. (by heart / in vain / at random)

12. He was caught cheating and claimed it was _____. Nobody believed him. (by mistake / by heart / by chance)

13. The winners were selected _____ from all entries using a computer programme. (at random / by heart / on purpose)

14. She left the party early _____ to avoid running into her ex-boyfriend. (by mistake / on purpose / by chance)

15. The old man still knows his army number _____. He learnt it 50 years ago. (by chance / at random / by heart)

16. Don't eat your lunch _____. Sit down and take at least 20 minutes. (in vain / in a hurry / at random)

17. I bumped into my old teacher _____ at the shopping centre. I hadn't seen her in years. (on purpose / by chance / by mistake)

18. She threw the ball _____ at the window. It was meant to go to her friend in the garden. (on purpose / by accident / in vain)

19. Please don't make decisions _____ about your career. Think carefully about each option. (in a hurry / in vain / by heart)

20. They tried _____ to get tickets for the sold-out concert. Every website was sold out. (by chance / at random / in vain)