PREPOSITIONS
Prepositions is one area where people make many mistakes. Study the following rules carefully. They are simple and examples also have been given. Write one example for each rule.
Prepositions – Time
English Usage Example
on days of the week on Monday
in months / seasons in August / in winter
time of day in the morning
year in 2006
after a certain period of time (when?) in an hour
at for night at night
for weekend at the weekend
a certain point of time (when?) at half past nine
since from a certain point of time (past till now) since 1980
for over a certain period of time (past till now) for 2 years
ago a certain time in the past 2 years ago
before earlier than a certain point of time before 2004
to telling the time ten to six (5.50)
past telling the time ten past six (6.10)
to/till/until making the beginning and from Monday to/till Friday
end of a period of time
till / until in the sense of how long He is on holiday until Friday.
something is going to last
by in the sense of at the latest up I will be back by 6PM.
to a certain time By 11Am, I had read 5 pages.
Prepositions - Place (Position and Direction)
in
Usage - room, building, street, town, country
book, paper etc.
car, taxi
picture, world
Example in the kitchen, in London
in the book
in the car, in a taxi
in the picture, in the world
at
Usage meaning next to, by an object
for table
for events
place where you are to do something typical (watch a film, study, work)
Example at the door, at the station
at the table
at a concert, at the party
at the cinema, at school, at work
on
Usage - attached
for a place with a river
being on a surface
for a certain side (left, right)
for a floor in a house
for public transport
for television, radio
the picture on the wall
Example London lies on the Thames.
on the table
on the left
on the first floor
on the bus, on a plane
on TV, on the radio
by, next to, beside
left or right of somebody or something
Jane is standing by / next to / beside the car.
under
Usage on the ground, lower than (or covered by) something else
Example the bag is under the table
below
Usage lower than something else but above ground
Example the fish are below the surface
over
Usage covered by something else
meaning more than
getting to the other side (also across)
overcoming an obstacle
Example put a jacket over your shirt
over 16 years of age
walk over the bridge
climb over the wall
above
Usage higher than something else, but not directly over it
Example a path above the lake
across
Usage getting to the other side (also over)
getting to the other side
Example walk across the bridge
swim across the lake
through
Usage something with limits on top, bottom and the sides
Example drive through the tunnel
to
Usage movement to person or building
movement to a place or country
for bed
Example go to the cinema
go to London / Ireland
go to bed
into
Usage enter a room / a building
Example go into the kitchen / the house
towards
Usage movement in the direction of something (but not directly to it)
Example go 5 steps towards the house
onto
Usage movement to the top of something
Example jump onto the table
from
Usage in the sense of where from
Example a flower from the garden
Other important Prepositions
from
Usage who gave it
Example a present from Jane
of
Usage who/what does it belong to
what does it show
Example a page of the book
the picture of a palace
by
Usage who made it
Example a book by Mark Twain
on
Usage walking or riding on horseback
entering a public transport vehicle
Example on foot, on horseback
get on the bus
in
Usage entering a car / Taxi
Example get in the car
off
Usage leaving a public transport vehicle
Example get off the train
out of
Usage leaving a car / Taxi
Example get out of the taxi
by
Usage rise or fall of something
travelling (other than walking or horseriding)
Example prices have risen by 10 percent
by car, by bus
at
Usage for age
Example she learned Russian at 45
about
Usage for topics, meaning what about
Example we were talking about you
Exercise - 1
Test your knowledge of the prepositions in / at / to / nothing - showing place and movement. Choose either in, at, to, or nothing.
1. He lives ............... Zielona Gora.
2. She went ............... home.
3. Piotrek works ............... Gorzów Wlkp.
4. He went ............... his friend's house.
5. She arrived ............... Manchester for the celebrations.
6. I'm going to stay ............... home this weekend.
7. Joanna works ............... the hospital.
8. Why don't we go ............... the movies tonight?
9. I'm going to see Hania ............... France this summer.
10. I arrived ............... work early this morning.
11. She came home ............... early.
12. We stayed ............... the Mieszko Hotel.
13. They visited ............... England last summer.
14. She's going to travel ............... Finland this summer.
15. I'll be ............... school later today.
Exercises 2
Test you knowledge of the prepositions for / while / during. Choose either for, while or during.
1. He's been working ............... three weeks.
2. I fell asleep ............... the film.
3. Did you see Donata ............... your holiday?
4. We talked ............... an hour.
5. He watched TV ............... I cooked.
6. ............... our stay in London, we visited a lot of museums.
7. What did you do ............... you were in London?
8. I think I need to study Polish ............... a few months before I go there.
9. I came up with a great idea ............... I was thinking about my class.
10. They drove through the countryside ............... they were staying in France.
11. He was out of work ............... six months before he found a new job.
12. I broke my finger ............... I was playing squash.
13. Please, don't interrupt the teacher ............... he is speaking.
14. Magda broke into tears ............... the film.
15. Could you hold on ............... a few moments?
Exercises 3
Test you knowledge of the prepositions in / at / on - showing time and date. Choose either in, at or on.
1. Let's meet ............... seven o'clock.
2. He was born ............... July.
3. I went there ............... 1998.
4. She'll be at work ............... Thursday.
5. We met ............... Christmas day.
6. They drove to Barlinek ............... September 15th.
7. We arrived in this country ............... September.
8. I love to go shopping ............... Christmas time.
9. We get up early ............... the morning.
10. Do you dream ............... night?
11. What do you like doing ............... weekends?
12. He's working on his homework ............... the moment.
13. I lived in Holland ............... the 1990s.
14. I'll see you ............... a few weeks.
15. We like going to the cinema ............... Fridays.
Exercises 4
Choose “of, for, at, in, during” and fill in the blanks.
1. She wasn't short, she wasn't tall; she was ............... average height.
2. What are you going to buy Hania ............... her birthday?
3. The police are looking ............... a tall, black man who was seen standing outside the bank just before the robbery took place.
4. The teacher asked the class to do the exercise ............... the bottom of page 12.
5. As a child I was always ashamed ............... my parents because they were uneducated.
6. I was always very good ............... Geography when I was at school.
7. My uncle specializes in ................
8. We arrived ............... Gorzów at 3.30 in the morning.
9. I didn't see you ............... the party on Saturday.
10. There was a lot of coughing ............... the performance of Moniusko's 'Fairy Tale' symphony.
11. He saw her as the most attractive woman ............... the world.
12. Simon is completely useless ............... sports.