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 /  marking the beginning and end of a period  from Monday to/till Friday
until of time

 till /  in the sense of how long something is going  He is on holiday until Friday.
until to last

 by  in the sense of at the latest  I will be back by 6 o’clock.

 up to a certain time  By 11 o'clock, I had read five pages

Exercise on Prepositions – Time

Fill in the correct prepositions.
 on
1. Peter is playing tennis   Sunday.

2. My brother's birthday is   the 5th of November.

3. My birthday is  May.

4. We are going to see my parents   the weekend.

5.  1666, a great fire broke out in London.

6. I don't like walking alone in the streets   night.

7. What are you doing   the afternoon?

8. My friend has been living in Canada   two years.

9. I have been waiting for you   seven o'clock.

10. I will have finished this essay   Friday.

2.Choose the correct prepositions.

at
 What are you doing   the weekend?
on
 I don't know yet. Maybe I'll go to the cinema   Saturday.
for
 That's interesting. I haven't been to the cinema   so many years.
in
 We could go there together   the afternoon.
in
 That would be great. But I would prefer to go there   the evening. I am
on
visiting my grandma   Saturday.
at
 That's okay. The film starts   eight o'clock.
at past
 I can pick you up   half   seven. How long does the film last?
for
 It lasts   two hours and forty-five minutes.
By till to
  eight   a quarter   eleven.
after
 That's right. But I must hurry home   the film. I have to be
by
home   eleven o'clock.
 - since - if the starting point is given (two o'clock, last Friday, 1998)
- for - if the period of time is given (twenty minutes, two days, one year)

Decide whether to use »since« or »for«.

since
1. I have been waiting   4 o'clock.
for
2. Sue has only been waiting   20 minutes.
for
3. Tim and Tina have been learning English   six years.
since
4. Fred and Frida have been learning French   1998.
for
5. Joe and Josephine have been going out together   Valentine's Day.
since
6. I haven't been on holiday   last July.
for
7. Mary has been saving her money   many years.
since
8. I haven't eaten anything   breakfast.
for
9. You have been watching TV   hours.
for
10. We have been living here   2 months.

Prepositions – Place (Position and Direction)

English Usage Example

 in  room, building, street, town, country  in the kitchen, in Londo

 book, paper etc.  in the book
 car, taxi  in the car, in a taxi
 picture, world  in the picture, in the wo

 at  meaning next to, by an object  at the door, at the statio

 for table  at the table
 for events  at a concert, at the part
 place where you are to do something typical (watch a  at the cinema, at schoo
film, study, work) work
 English Usage Example

 on  attached  the picture on the wall

 for a place with a river  London lies on the Tham
 being on a surface  on the table
 for a certain side (left, right)  on the left
 for a floor in a house  on the first floor
 for public transport  on the bus, on a plane
 for television, radio  on TV, on the radio

 by, next  left or right of somebody or something  Jane is standing by / ne

to, beside beside the car.

 under  on the ground, lower than (or covered by) something  the bag is under the tab
else

 below  lower than something else but above ground  the fish are below the s

 over  covered by something else  put a jacket over your s

 meaning more than  over 16 years of age
 getting to the other side (also across)  walk over the bridge
 overcoming an obstacle  climb over the wall

 above  higher than something else, but not directly over it  a path above the lake

 across  getting to the other side (also over)  walk across the bridge
 getting to the other side  swim across the lake

 through  something with limits on top, bottom and the sides  drive through the tunne

 to  movement to person or building  go to the cinema

 movement to a place or country  go to London / Ireland
 for bed  go to bed

 into  enter a room / a building  go into the kitchen / the

house

 towards  movement in the direction of something (but not  go 5 steps towards the
 English Usage Example

directly to it)

 onto  movement to the top of something  jump onto the table

 from  in the sense of where from  a flower from the garde

Exercises on Prepositions

Complete the exercise according to the picture.

1.  the picture, I can see a woman.

2. The woman is sitting   a table.

3. She is sitting   a chair.

4. There is another chair   the woman.

5. Her feet are   the table

6. The woman is holding a cup   her hands.

7.  the table are a laptop, a paper, a calculator, an appointment

calendar, two pens and a muffin.

8. The woman is looking   her laptop.

9. The woman's bag is   the table.

Other important Prepositions

English Usage Example

 fr  who gave it  a present from Jane

om
 English Usage Example

 o who/what does it belong to  a page of the book

f  what does it show  the picture of a palace

 b who made it  a book by Mark Twain

y

 o walking or riding on horseback  on foot, on horseback

n  entering a public transport vehicle  get on the bus

 in entering a car  / Taxi  get in the car

 o leaving a public transport vehicle  get off the train

ff

 o leaving a car  / Taxi  get out of the taxi

ut of

 b rise or fall of something  prices have risen by 10 percent

y  travelling (other than walking or horseriding)  by car, by bus

 a for age  she learned Russian at 45

t

 a for topics, meaning what about  we were talking about you

bout
 Exercise on prepositions – The Wampanoag
Fill the gaps with the correct prepositions.

1. The Wampanoag are the native American tribe that helped the Pilgrims   

the Mayflower to survive their first year   the New World.

2. The tribe was divided   smaller groups, and each group was

ruled   a chief.

3. The Wampanoag lived   villages   the southeastern coast   

North America. Their name means ‘people of the east’.

4. One member   the Wampanoag, Squanto, knew English because several

years before he had been kidnapped and taken   Europe.

5. Squanto was the first to meet the Pilgrims and he welcomed them   
English.

6. The Wampanoag shared their knowledge   hunting and fishing   

the European settlers and showed them how to grow corn and beans.
7.  autumn, the harvest was so good that the settlers invited the

Wampanoag   a great feast that is now remembered as the first Thanksgiving.

8. A treaty   the Wampanoag and the settlers secured peace   about

40 years, but then the settlers claimed more and more land and treated the

Wampanoag   disrespect.

9. This finally led   war   the English and the Wampanoag (1675-

1676)   which the Wampanoag were defeated.

10. The Wampanoag left their lands and moved   the islands   
Nantucket and Martha's Vineyard.

11. Today there are only about 2,000 Wampanoag people living   the United
States.

Complete the exercise with the correct prepositions.

1. George Washington was born   Virginia   1732.

2.  the American Revolutionary War (   1775 and 1783) he was the

Commander-in-Chief   the American forces.

3. Washington played an important role   the founding   the United

States.

4. He became the first President   the United States.

5. He was President   1789   1797.

6. George Washington died   the age   67,   the 14th   

December 1799.

7. The capital   the United States and one federal state are named   
George Washington.
 Exercise on Prepositions – Henry Ford
Complete the exercise with the correct prepositions.

1. Henry Ford was born   the 30th   July 1863.

2. He made his first car, the Quadricycle,   June 1896.

3.  1903, he founded the Ford Motor Company.

4. Modern mass production   cars was developed   him   

1913.

5. Ford's Model T could then be assembled   just 93 minutes.

6.  1927, 15 million Model T cars had been manufactured   the Ford

Motor Company.

7. Henry Ford became one   the richest and best-known people   the
world.

Exercise on Prepositions – McDonald’s

Complete the exercise with the correct prepositions.

1. The first McDonald’s restaurant was opened   Dick and Mac

McDonald   the 15th   May 1940.

2. The best selling products   their restaurant were hamburgers.

3. So the McDonald brothers thought   a way to produce hamburgers more

quickly.

4. This was introduced   1948 and became known   the Speedee

Service System.

5. The first franchised McDonald’s restaurant was opened   1953, and

today you can find McDonald’s restaurants   more than 100 countries.

6. The meats   the burgers vary   the culture   the country.

7. Franchisees and future managers   McDonald’s restaurants are

trained   Hamburger University, which is located   Oak Brook, a

suburb   Chicago.

8. McDonalds is also known   its sponsorship   various international

sport events.

Exercise on Prepositions – Uluru

Complete the exercise with the correct prepositions.

1. Uluru is located   central Australia.

2. The large sandstone rock formation is also known   Ayers Rock   

honour   Sir Henry Ayers, who was a Premier   South Australia   

1873.

3. Uluru is listed   a World Heritage Area   both its natural and

cultural values.

4. It is sacred   the Aboriginal people   the area.

5.  different times   the day, Uluru seems to change colour.

6. The sandstone is infused   minerals that reflect the red light   

sunrise and sunset.