A2 — Lesson 18

Environment & Prepositions

Movement Preps · Adjective + Prep · Verb + Prep · Noun Phrases · So / Such / Such a
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Vocabulary: Protecting Our Planet

British English note: We say rubbish (not trash), bin (not trash can), petrol (not gas), lorry (not truck), car park (not parking lot).

Environmental Problems — Проблеми на околната среда

Pollution/pəˈluː.ʃən/Замърсяване
Climate change/ˈklaɪ.mət tʃeɪndʒ/Климатични промени
Global warming/ˌɡləʊ.bəl ˈwɔː.mɪŋ/Глобално затопляне
Deforestation/diːˌfɒr.ɪˈsteɪ.ʃən/Обезлесяване
Rubbish / Waste/ˈrʌb.ɪʃ/Боклук / Отпадък
Flood/flʌd/Наводнение
Drought/draʊt/Суша
Traffic jam/ˈtræf.ɪk dʒæm/Задръстване
Oil spill/ˈɔɪl spɪl/Разлив на нефт
Litter/ˈlɪt.ər/Боклук изхвърлен на улицата

Solutions & Actions — Решения

Recycling/ˌriːˈsaɪ.klɪŋ/Рециклиране
To reuse/ˌriːˈjuːz/Използвам повторно
To reduce/rɪˈdjuːs/Намалявам
To protect/prəˈtekt/Защитавам
To conserve/kənˈsɜːv/Запазвам / Съхранявам
Public transport/ˈpʌb.lɪk ˈtræn.spɔːt/Обществен транспорт
Solar energy/ˈsəʊ.lər ˈen.ə.dʒi/Слънчева енергия
Wind turbine/ˈwɪnd ˌtɜː.baɪn/Вятърна турбина
Compost/ˈkɒm.pɒst/Компост
Sustainable/səˈsteɪ.nə.bəl/Устойчив

Nature — Природа

Wildlife/ˈwaɪld.laɪf/Дива природа
Species/ˈspiː.ʃiːz/Вид (животно/растение)
Habitat/ˈhæb.ɪ.tæt/Местообитание
Carbon footprint/ˈkɑː.bən ˈfʊt.prɪnt/Въглероден отпечатък
Renewable energy/rɪˈnjuː.ə.bəl ˈen.ə.dʒi/Възобновяема енергия
📝 Exercise A — Problems & Solutions: Choose the correct word.
1. Cutting down large areas of forest is called ___.
2. Making new things from old materials is ___.
3. The natural home of an animal is its ___.
4. A long period with no rain is a ___.
5. Energy that will never run out is called ___ energy.
🎯 Exercise B — In Context: Write the correct word.
1. The amount of carbon you produce through your daily life is your carbon ___.
2. Buses, trains, and trams are all examples of ___ transport.
3. We should ___ the amount of plastic we use — not buy so much.
4. The water turned brown after the oil ___ in the harbour.
5. She ___ all her food scraps instead of throwing them away.

Grammar Lab

Five grammar topics this lesson — four on prepositions and one on intensifiers. Prepositions cannot be translated directly from Bulgarian: learn each pattern as a whole phrase.
1

Prepositions of Movement

Used with action verbs: go, walk, run, drive, fly, swim

These prepositions describe how someone or something moves. The choice depends on the shape of the space — is it flat, enclosed, linear, or above?

PrepositionMeaningCorrect ✅Wrong ❌
ACROSSflat surface — from one side to the other"Walk across the road." "Swim across the river."Walk across the tunnel.
THROUGHinside a 3D space — entering and exiting"Drive through the tunnel." "Walk through the forest."Walk through the road.
INTOentering an enclosed space"Go into the house." "Pour water into the glass."Go in the house. (no direction)
OUT OFexiting an enclosed space"Come out of the station." "Take keys out of your bag."Go out the building.
ALONGfollowing a line or path (parallel)"Walk along the river." "Drive along the coast."
OVERgoing above and across something"Jump over the fence." "Fly over the city."
TOdestination — you arrive"Walk to work." "Go to the park."Arrive to London.
TOWARDSdirection — maybe you don't arrive"He ran towards the exit." "Walk towards the light."
PASTgoing beside something and continuing"Drive past the school."
AROUNDgoing in a circle or circuit"Run around the park."
📝 Exercise A — Easy: Choose the correct preposition.
1. He walked ___ the forest — he was inside it the whole time.
2. She swam ___ the river from one bank to the other.
3. Please come ___ the office — the manager is waiting.
4. We walked ___ the beach path for two kilometres.
5. I drove ___ the old factory without stopping.
🎯 Exercise B — Harder: Fill in the correct preposition.
1. She walked ___ her house at nine and headed towards the hills. (exiting)
2. The horse jumped ___ the fence and ran into the field. (above and across)
3. He ran ___ the exit but couldn't reach it in time. (direction, didn't arrive)
4. We ran ___ the park — a full lap of the whole circuit. (in a circle)
5. She went ___ the recycling centre and dropped off the boxes. (destination — arrived)
2

Adjective + Preposition

Fixed combinations — the adjective decides the preposition

These prepositions are fixed — you cannot choose them freely. The adjective determines which preposition follows. Even small differences matter: angry with a person vs angry about a situation.

Adjective + PrepositionExampleNote
good / bad / brilliant at"She is good at recycling."Ability or skill
interested in"Are you interested in wildlife?"
involved in"He is involved in a project."
afraid of / scared of / proud of / tired of / full of"I am tired of pollution."
worried about / angry about / excited about / happy about"She is worried about climate change."About a situation or thing
angry with / happy with / pleased with"I am angry with him."⚠️ WITH a person, ABOUT a thing
famous for / responsible for / ready for"We are responsible for our waste."
different from / far from"This is different from before."NOT "different than" or "different to"
⚠️ ANGRY: two different prepositions with different meanings:
Angry WITH a person → "I am angry with my neighbour." (the person caused it)
Angry ABOUT a situation → "I am angry about the new motorway." (the situation caused it)
📝 Exercise A — Easy: Choose the correct preposition.
1. I am good ___ maths but bad at languages.
2. She is interested ___ renewable energy.
3. The bin is full ___ rubbish — please empty it.
4. We are all responsible ___ protecting the planet.
5. She is angry ___ the new road — it destroyed the forest.
🎯 Exercise B — Harder: Fill in the correct preposition — watch the angry with/about distinction.
1. Are you scared ___ spiders? (of / about)
2. Scotland is famous ___ its wildlife and mountains.
3. He is angry ___ his neighbour — they had an argument. (person)
4. I am tired ___ seeing plastic on the beach every weekend.
5. This approach is very different ___ what we did before.
3

Verb + Preposition

The verb requires a specific preposition — you cannot remove it

Some verbs are always followed by a fixed preposition. If you remove it the sentence is wrong — or changes meaning completely.

Verb + PrepExampleCommon mistake
wait for"Wait for the bus."❌ "Wait the bus."
listen to"Listen to the news."❌ "Listen the news."
agree with (person) / agree on (topic)"I agree with you." / "We agreed on a plan."❌ "I agree you."
ask for"Ask for help."❌ "Ask help."
spend on"Spend money on sustainable products."❌ "Spend money for..."
think about / think of"Think about the planet." / "Think of a solution."
depend on"It depends on the weather."❌ "Depends of..."
care about"We care about the environment.""Care for" = look after (different meaning)
look at (observe) / look for (search) / look after (care)"Look at the bird." / "Look for a solution." / "Look after the park."
belong to"This land belongs to everyone."❌ "Belong of..."
arrive in (city/country) / arrive at (building/place)"Arrive in London." / "Arrive at the station."❌ "Arrive to London."
📝 Exercise A — Easy: Choose the correct preposition.
1. I am waiting ___ the bus — it is five minutes late.
2. Please listen ___ the guide — she is explaining the route.
3. She is looking ___ her keys — she can't find them anywhere.
4. It depends ___ how much energy you use at home.
5. We arrived ___ Bristol just before dark.
🎯 Exercise B — Harder: Fill in the correct preposition.
1. I agree ___ you — we should use less plastic. (person)
2. She spends a lot of money ___ sustainable products.
3. Look ___ the damage the oil spill caused! (observe)
4. This land belongs ___ the whole community.
5. We arrived ___ the nature reserve at ten in the morning. (a specific place)
4

Prepositional Noun Phrases

Fixed expressions — learned as complete phrases

Many common English expressions are built around preposition + noun. These cannot be translated word-for-word from Bulgarian — you must learn them as complete phrases.

PhraseMeaningExample
in dangerЗастрашен / В опасност"Many species are in danger of extinction."
at riskИзложен на риск"Coastal habitats are at risk from rising sea levels."
on fireВ огън / Гори"The forest is on fire — call the fire brigade!"
out of controlИзвън контрол"The pollution levels are out of control."
by accidentПо случайност"I spilled the oil by accident."
on purposeНарочно"He dropped the litter on purpose — it was deliberate."
in charge ofОтговорен за / Начело на"She is in charge of the recycling programme."
in favour ofВ подкрепа на"Most people are in favour of solar energy."
on the way toПо пътя към"She stopped at the shop on the way to work."
by car / by bus / on footС кола / С автобус / Пеш"I travel by bus." / "We went on foot."
Transport note: British English uses by for most transport: by car, by bus, by train, by bike. But we say on foot (not "by foot") when walking.
📝 Exercise A — Easy: Choose the correct phrase.
1. Many animals are ___ because of deforestation.
2. She didn't mean to drop the rubbish — she did it ___.
3. He deliberately threw plastic in the river — he did it ___.
4. I travel to work ___ — I never drive.
5. She stopped at the shop ___ work to buy a reusable bag.
🎯 Exercise B — Harder: Fill in the correct preposition or phrase.
1. The wildfire spread so quickly it was soon ___ control. (out of…)
2. Coastal towns are ___ risk from rising sea levels. (at / in)
3. She is ___ charge of the new solar energy project. (in / at)
4. Most residents are ___ favour of the wind turbine plan. (in / on)
5. We walked the whole route ___. (= walking, not driving) (two words)
5

So · Such · Such a — Expressing Strong Feeling

SO before adjectives and adverbs · SUCH (A) before noun phrases

So and such both intensify meaning — they mean "very" or "to a great degree" — but they attach to different parts of the sentence. The rule is simple: look at what comes directly after.

WordFollowed byFormulaExample
SOadjective or adverb aloneso + adjective / adverb"The pollution is so bad."
"She drives so fast."
SUCH Asingular countable noun (with adjective)such a + adjective + noun"It was such a beautiful day."
"He is such a good cyclist."
SUCHuncountable or plural nounsuch + noun"There is such pollution here."
"They are such good people."
SO + adjective / adverb
  • "The river is so dirty." ✅
  • "She cares so deeply about nature." ✅
  • "It was so cold that we went home." ✅
  • ❌ "It was so a cold day."
SUCH (A) + noun phrase
  • "It was such a long walk." ✅ (singular)
  • "They were such dedicated volunteers." ✅ (plural)
  • "There is such noise from the traffic." ✅ (uncountable)
  • ❌ "It was such long walk." — singular needs a
So … that / Such … that — use these to express a result:
"The pollution was so bad that they closed the beach."  ·  "It was such a hot day that we stayed indoors."
📝 Exercise A — Easy: Choose SO, SUCH, or SUCH A.
1. The recycling scheme is ___ good idea.
2. She is ___ passionate about the environment.
3. They are ___ dedicated volunteers — they come every weekend.
4. It was ___ beautiful walk along the coast.
5. There is ___ much pollution in this city — something must change.
🎯 Exercise B — Harder: Fill in SO, SUCH, or SUCH A.
1. The beach was ___ dirty that they had to close it. (adjective follows)
2. It was ___ long journey to the nature reserve. (singular countable noun)
3. He speaks ___ passionately about climate change. (adverb follows)
4. They are ___ knowledgeable people — I learn something new every time. (plural noun)
5. There was ___ terrible traffic that we arrived an hour late. (uncountable noun)

Reading: Green Lives in Britain (4 Texts)

Read each text carefully. Look out for prepositions used naturally in context. Choose the correct answer (A, B, C, or D).
🚲

1. Sarah's Green Commute

Sarah lives in Bristol and is very worried about climate change. Last year, she decided to stop driving to work. "Driving through the city centre is terrible," she says. "There are always traffic jams along the ring road and the air is full of pollution." Now, Sarah cycles to work every day. She rides along the river, then crosses a small bridge and goes through Victoria Park. The journey takes thirty minutes — the same as the car. She also saves money on petrol. Sarah thinks that public transport is important too. "I always wait for the bus when it's raining," she says. "I'm not good at cycling in the rain!" She is interested in getting an electric bike next year.

Comprehension Questions:

1. Why did Sarah stop driving to work?

2. What does Sarah do when it rains?

3. How long does Sarah's cycle journey take?

4. What is Sarah interested in buying next year?

🌳

2. The Community Garden

In the village of Thornton, near Leeds, a group of local people are doing something brilliant for the environment. They have turned an old car park into a beautiful community garden. Every Saturday morning, volunteers walk through the gate and spend several hours working together. They grow vegetables, look after fruit trees, and collect rainwater into large tanks. The garden is different from a normal park because everything grown there belongs to the community. "We were worried about the amount of food waste in our village," says organiser David Mills. "Now we compost everything." Children from the local school are also involved in the project. They are learning to be responsible for their own patch of land. The garden is already famous for its tomatoes, which are the best in the region.

Comprehension Questions:

1. What was the community garden before?

2. What were the villagers worried about?

3. Who is also involved in the garden project?

4. What is the garden famous for?

🌊

3. A Day at the Beach

Every summer, thousands of volunteers across the UK walk along Britain's coastline to collect litter. Last August, a group of thirty people arrived at Whitby beach in North Yorkshire early in the morning. They walked through the dunes and down to the shore. The beach was full of plastic bottles, bags, and old fishing nets. The volunteers worked for five hours, moving along the coast from one end of the beach to the other. By the end, they had filled over two hundred bags with rubbish. "People are bad at taking their rubbish home," said volunteer Emma Clarke. "But I'm also proud of what we achieved today." The group is interested in doing a similar event in other coastal towns. They also spoke to local schools about the damage that plastic does to marine wildlife. Many species of seabird eat plastic and die.

Comprehension Questions:

1. Where did the group arrive?

2. How many bags of rubbish did they collect?

3. According to Emma, what are people bad at?

4. What problem does plastic cause for wildlife?

☀️

4. A Sustainable Home in Wales

Tom and Alison Jenkins live in a small village in the Brecon Beacons in Wales. Three years ago, they decided to make their home as sustainable as possible. They put solar panels on the roof, a wind turbine at the end of the garden, and a compost bin near the kitchen door. Tom spent a lot of money on insulation for the walls and windows, which means the house is warm in winter without using much energy. "We care deeply about the environment," says Alison. "We are responsible for the world we pass on to our children." Their electricity bills are now much lower and they sometimes sell energy back to the grid. The couple agree with the idea that small changes at home can make a big difference. They also drive an electric car and look after a small area of local woodland. Tom is proud of what they have achieved, but he says: "We are still far from perfect. There is always more to do."

Comprehension Questions:

1. Where do Tom and Alison live?

2. What did Tom spend money on?

3. What do Tom and Alison do with extra electricity?

4. What is Tom's attitude at the end of the text?

Text 1 / 4

Cloze Text: A Walk in the Countryside

Choose the correct preposition from each drop-down. Use everything you have learned in the Grammar Lab — movement, adjective+prep, verb+prep, and prepositional phrases.

Last Sunday, I decided to go for a long walk in the countryside. I am really interested (1) nature, so I was excited (2) the trip. I walked (3) my house at nine o'clock (4) the morning and headed towards the hills.

First, I walked (5) the river path for about two kilometres. The path goes (6) a small ancient woodland, which was beautiful. I walked (7) an old farmhouse and then climbed (8) a stone wall to reach the open fields.

The view from the top of the hill was amazing. I sat down and thought (9) how lucky we are to have such beautiful countryside in Britain. I am always worried (10) deforestation and climate change. We are all responsible (11) protecting these habitats.

On the way back, I walked (12) a large field and then (13) the village. I arrived (14) the village pub just before lunch. I was tired (15) walking, but also very happy (16) my day. I depend (17) these walks to feel good.

Exercises

15 sets covering all preposition topics from this lesson.

Tense Writing Practice

Five exercises, 10 sentences each — all mixed tenses.
Put the verb in brackets into the correct tense.

Gerund or Infinitive?

Five mixed exercises. The verb before the gap decides the form.
Key verbs with gerund: enjoy · finish · like · love · hate · avoid · mind · stop · practise · keep · suggest · consider
Key verbs with infinitive: want · need · decide · hope · plan · manage · promise · agree · refuse · expect · offer · learn · forget · remember