ENGLISH PREPOSITIONS

English prepositions
In grammar, a preposition is a word which is used before a noun, a noun
phrase or a pronoun, connecting it to another word. In the sentences:

"We jumped in the lake"

"Many shops don't open on Sundays."
"in" and "on" are prepositions

Generally speaking, one can classify prepositions in three groups:

prepositions of time, prepositions of place and other types of
prepositions.

• prepositions of time
• prepositions of place
• other kinds of prepositions.

1|Page
 Prepositions of time
Preposition
Explanations Example
of time
▪ days ▪ Many shops don't
▪ weekend (American open on Sundays.
on English) ▪ What did you do on the
weekend?

▪ months / seasons / year ▪ I visited

▪ morning / evening / Italy in July, in spring, in 1994
in afternoon ▪ In the evenings, I like to relax.
▪ period of time ▪ This is the first cigarette I've
had in three years.

▪ night ▪ It gets cold at night.

▪ weekend (British English) ▪ What did you do at the
at ▪ used to show an exact or a weekend?
particular time: ▪ There's a meeting at 2.30 this
afternoon / at lunch time.

▪ from a particular time in ▪ England have not won the

since the past until a later time, World Cup in
or until now football since 1966

▪ used to show an amount ▪ I'm just going to bed for an

for of time. hour or so.

▪ back in the past; back in ▪ The dinosaurs died out 65

ago time from the present: million years ago.

▪ at or during a time earlier ▪ She's always up before dawn.

before than

2|Page
 ▪ used when saying the ▪ It's twenty to six.
to time, to mean before the
stated hour

past ▪ telling the time ▪ five past ten

▪ until a particular time, ▪ It's only two weeks to

to marking end of a period Christmas.
of time

▪ used to show the time ▪ The museum is

from when something starts open from 9.30 to 6.00
Tuesday to Sunday.

▪ up to (the time that) ▪ We waited till / until half past

till / until six for you.

▪ not later than; at or before ▪ She had promised to be

by back by five o'clock.

3|Page
 Prepositions of place
Preposition
Explanation Example
of place
▪ inside ▪ I watch TV in the living-room
▪ I live in New York
▪ Look at the picture in the book
in ▪ She looks at herself in the mirror.
▪ She is in the car.
▪ Look at the girl in the picture
▪ This is the best team in the world

▪ used to show an exact position ▪ I met her at the entrance, at the bus
or particular place stop
▪ table ▪ She sat at the table
at ▪ events ▪ at a concert, at the party
▪ place where you are to do ▪ at the
something typical (watch a movies, at university, at work
film, study, work)

▪ attached ▪ Look at the picture on the wall

▪ next to or along the side of
(river)
▪ used to show that something is
in a position above something
on else and touching it.
▪ left, right
▪ a floor in a house
▪ used for showing some
methods of traveling
▪ television, radio
▪ Cambridge is on the River Cam.
▪ The book is on the desk
▪ A smile on his face
▪ The shop is on the left
▪ My apartment is on the first floor
▪ I love traveling on trains /on the
bus / on a plane
▪ My favorite program on TV, on the
radio

by, next to, ▪ not far away in distance ▪ The girl who is by / next
beside, to / beside the house.
near

▪ in or into the space which ▪ The town lies

between separates two places, people or halfway between Rome and
objects Florence.

behind ▪ at the back (of) ▪ I hung my coat behind the door.

4|Page
 ▪ further forward than someone
in front of or something else
▪ lower than (or covered by)
under something else
below ▪ lower than something else.
▪ above or higher than something
else, sometimes so that one
thing covers the other.
over ▪ more than.
▪ across from one side to the
other.
▪ overcoming an obstacle
▪ higher than something else, but
above not directly over it
▪ from one side to the other of
something with clear limits /
across getting to the other side
▪
▪ from one end or side of
through something to the other
▪ in the direction of
to ▪ bed
▪ towards the inside or middle of
something and about to be
into contained, surrounded or
enclosed by it
▪ in the direction of, or closer to
towards someone or something
5|Page
▪ She started talking to the man in
front of her
▪ the cat is under the chair.
▪ the plane is just below the clouds
▪ She held the umbrella over both of
us.
▪ Most of the carpets are over $100.
▪ I walked over the bridge
▪ She jumped over the gate
▪ a path above the lake
▪ She walked across the field/road.
▪ He sailed across the Atlantic
▪ They walked slowly through the
woods.
▪ We went to Prague last year.
▪ I go to bed at ten.
▪ Shall we go into the garden?
▪ She stood up and
walked towards him.
 ▪ used to show movement into or ▪ I slipped as I stepped onto the
onto on a particular place platform.

▪ used to show the place where ▪ What time does the

from someone or something starts: flight from Amsterdam arrive?

6|Page
 These are prepositions of neither place nor time.

Other Prepositions
Preposition Explanation
▪ used to show the origin of
something or someone
▪ used to show the material of
from which something is made
▪ used to show a change in the
state of someone or something
Example
▪ "Where are you from?"
"I'm from Italy."
▪ The desk is made from pine.
▪ Things went from bad to worse.

▪ used to show possession, ▪ a friend of mine

belonging or origin ▪ a kilo of apples
▪ used after words or phrases
of
expressing amount, number or
particular unit

▪ used to show the person or thing ▪ I'm reading some short stories
by that does something: (written) by Chekhov.

▪ used for showing some methods ▪ It'd be quicker to get there on foot
of travelling / on horse
on ▪ entering a public transport ▪ get on the train
vehicle

▪ entering a car / Taxi ▪ She got in the car and drove fast.
in

▪ leaving a public transport ▪ She got off the bus

off vehicle

▪ leaving a closed vehicle, ▪ She got out of the car

out of building...

▪ used to show measurements or ▪ Their wages were increased by

amounts 12%.
by ▪ travelling (other than walking or ▪ She went by car, by bus, by train
horse-riding)

7|Page
Preposition Explanation Example
▪ age ▪ In theory, women can still have
at children at the age of 50.

▪ on the subject of; connected with ▪ What's that book about?

about

8|Page
Choose the right preposition of place:

1. the picture, I can see a family a kitchen.

2. There is a dish full of fruits the worktop.
3. The mother is standing her son and daughter.
4. She is holding a vase her hand.
5. The son and the daughter are sitting the worktop
smiling each other.
6. There are beautiful cupbords the wall.
7. There is a window the mother.
8. The woman is looking her daughter.

Choose the right preposition of time:

1. What are you doing Saturday?

2. I am going to the countryside the weekend.
3. I haven't been to the countryside December.
4. What time are you leaving?
I am leaving the afternoon. May be three o'clock pm.
I am coming back Sunday evening. I'll catch the
half seven train Sunday. I'll be here nine
o'clock.
5. So you'll be there the whole weekend. I'll be missing you!

9|Page
Correct Answers

1. In the picture, I can see a family in a kitchen.

2. There is a dish full of fruits on the worktop.
3. The mother is standing in front of her son and daughter.
4. She is holding a vase in her hand.
5. The son and the daughter are sitting at the worktop smiling at each
other.
6. There are beautiful cupbords on the wall.
7. There is a window behind the mother.
8. The woman is looking at her daughter.

Choose the right preposition of time:

1. What are you doing on Saturday?

2. I am going to the countryside on / at the weekend.
3. I haven't been to the countryside since December.
4. What time are you leaving?
I am leaving in the afternoon. May be at three o'clock pm.I am
coming back on Sunday evening. I'll catch the half past seven train on
Sunday. I'll be here by nine o'clock.
5. So you'll be there for the whole weekend. I'll be missing you!

10 | P a g e