GLOW: Grammar Lessons On the Web
For the exclusive use of employees of the U.S. Department of State--by Tillyer Associates

Preposition Practice

Fill in the blanks with on, in, at, or to.

Halloween is celebrated ______ the United States _______ October 31st. It is not an official holiday, so everyone has to go ______ school or work. But the fun begins ________ night. Actually, the celebration begins ______ the afternoon from 4 p.m. _____ about 6 p.m. for younger children; but older kids go out ______ night when it's scary!

What do they do? Well, children, and lots of adults, dress up _____ costumes and go ______ their neighbors' houses. When the neighbor comes ______ the door, the children _____ the door cry "Trick or Treat!" They try to frighten their neighbor and expect him or her to put candy or fruit _____ the bags that they are carrying.

Halloween is really very old. The name comes from All Hallows' Eve--a "hallow" is the word that people ______ the 19th Century England gave _____ the spirits of dead people. November 1st is All Saints Day ______ the Christian calendar, but people who love to be scared celebrate _____ the night before.

Trick-or-treaters dress up ______ costumes as ghosts, goblins, ghouls, skeletons, and vampires. What are these creatures? Look up the words _______ a good dictionary. In addition to going _____ doors for frights and candy, people go ______ parties ______ Halloween. The best feature _______ these parties is usually a costume contest. The people who go _______ these parties also carve pumpkins to make jack o' lanterns--people cut eyes, a nose and a mouth _____ these orange fruits. Then they put a candle _____ the pumpkin to make a lantern.

The history of Halloween is not always happy. _______ some large cities, there are fires ______ Halloween. Some people seem to get carried away with wanting to scare others. Other bad things that happen ______ Halloween are that some bad people put needles and other things ______ the candy they give ______ children to hurt them.

Halloween can be fun, but it can be dangerous. My favorite place to be ______ midnight ______ Halloween is _____ home _____ bed with a scary movie ______ TV! Be careful!

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