NCERT Solutions for Class 5th English Chapter 8 B. Fill in the blanks with the correct prepositions — Let us Learn

Book page 96–97 Updated on2026-09-19

Q1.

Fill in the blanks with the correct prepositions (in, at, by, after, before, under, with, to, for). A preposition can be used more than once.

Answer

A preposition is a small word that tells us where something is, when it happens, or how two things are joined. Here are the nine words in this exercise, each with its little rule.

Word	The little rule	Example
in	inside a place or a space	in the village
at	at one exact spot, or one exact time	at the gate · at four o’clock
by	right beside something	she sat by the window
after	the later of two things	after lunch
before	the earlier of two things	before sunrise
under	below something, often covered by it	under the tree
with	together with a person or a thing	he spoke with his friend
to	towards a person or a place	she went to school
for	gives the reason, or who something is meant for	punished for stealing

Here is the whole exercise, filled in:
1. to · 2. by · 3. with · 4. after · 5. in · 6. before · 7. under · 8. for · 9. to · 10. at · 11. after
Every one of the nine words has been used. To and after are each used twice — the question tells us that is allowed.

Q2.

1. The farmer went ................... the village chief to explain his problem.

Answer

The farmer went to the village chief to explain his problem.

The rule: Use to when somebody moves towards a person or a place. He walked from his field towards the chief, so the word is to.

Another example: I went to my grandmother with my torn shirt.

Q3.

2. The neighbour was standing ................... the well, blocking the way.

Answer

The neighbour was standing by the well, blocking the way.

The rule: Use by for “right beside”. He was standing close to the well so that nobody could get past — that is standing by it.

Also acceptable: at the well. But this exercise gives you by in the list, and this is the sentence where by fits best. If you write at here, you will be left with by unused at the end.

Q4.

3. The villagers tried to reason ................... the cunning man.

Answer

The villagers tried to reason with the cunning man.

The rule: Some verbs always keep the same little word beside them. Reason is one of them — you always reason with a person. The story itself uses it: “tried to reason with him, but he was adamant.”

Other verbs that keep with: agree with, argue with, play with, share with.

Q5.

4. The decision was made ................... careful consideration of both sides.

Answer

The decision was made after careful consideration of both sides.

The rule: Use after for the thing that comes later. First they thought about both sides carefully; the decision came later. So the decision was made after the thinking.

Careful: before would turn the sentence upside down. It would mean they decided first and thought afterwards — which is exactly what a good Panchayat does not do.

Q6.

5. Their lived a farmer ................... the small village.

Answer

There lived a farmer in the small village.

The rule: Use in when something is inside a place — in a village, in a town, in a room, in a box. A village is a place you live inside, so it takes in.

A misprint in the book: the sentence is printed as “Their lived a farmer…”. It should be “There lived a farmer…”. There tells us a place; their means belonging to them. When you copy the sentence into your notebook, write There.

Q7.

6. The Panchayat members listen to both the sides ................... coming to decision.

Answer

The Panchayat members listen to both the sides before coming to decision.

The rule: Use before for the thing that comes earlier. The listening comes first; the decision comes afterwards. That is the whole idea of the chapter.

Q8.

7. The villagers gathered the Panchayat ................... the banyan tree.

Answer

The villagers gathered the Panchayat under the banyan tree.

The rule: Use under for something below and covered by something else. The huge branches of a banyan spread out overhead like a roof, so people meet under it. The story says the members “gathered under the banyan tree in the centre of the village”.

Under or below? Use under when the thing above covers you — under the tree, under an umbrella. Use below for simply lower down — the village below the hill.

Q9.

8. The neighbour was punished ................... his dishonesty.

Answer

The neighbour was punished for his dishonesty.

The rule: Use for when the word that follows gives the reason. Punished for what? For his dishonesty. Dishonesty means not being truthful and fair.

Another example: She was praised for her honesty.

Q10.

9. The chief listened carefully ................... both the farmer and the neighbour.

Answer

The chief listened carefully to both the farmer and the neighbour.

The rule: The verb listen always keeps to beside it. We listen to a person, a song, the radio. We never say “listen the teacher”.

Do not mix these up: hear takes no word after it — “I heard a noise.” Listen takes to — “I listened to the noise.”

Q11.

10. The villagers agreed to meet ................... a later time to discuss the issue.

Answer

The villagers agreed to meet at a later time to discuss the issue.

The rule: Use at for an exact point in time — at four o’clock, at noon, at a later time. Use in for a long stretch of time — in June, in the evening, in 2026.

Q12.

11. The farmer decided to buy a well ................... buying his third field.

Answer

The farmer decided to buy a well after buying his third field.

The rule: Use after for the later action. Check it against the story: first he bought the field — “When he prospered, he bought another field” — and only then, because the field needed water, he bought the well beside it. Field first, well second.

Now count your words. All nine — in, at, by, after, before, under, with, to, for — should be used. To and after appear twice each. If a word is left over, go back and check sentence 2 and sentence 10.

Was this helpful?