Prepositions

Time prepositions
The rules for time prepositions are relatively simple. We use “at” for a
particular time of day:

 At 5 o’clock
 At 9:37 am
 At noon
 At night
We use “on” (not “at”) for a particular day:

 On Tuesday
 On 17 June 2014 (on the seventeenth of June 2014)
 On Christmas Day
 On her birthday
And, finally, we use “in” for months and longer periods (seasons, years,
centuries, etc.):

 In August
 In the winter
 In 1999
 In the last century
There are a few expressions that don’t fit the scheme above. For
holidays lasting more than a day, we usually use “at”:

 At Christmas
 At Ester
 “morning”, “afternoon”, and “evening” are preceded with “in

the” when they mean a particular time of day:

I usually drink tea in the morning/afternoon/evening

When “in” or “at” clashes with “on” used for days, “on” wins:

 On Monday morning

 On Wednesday afternoon

 On Friday evening

 On Sunday night

Finally, when speaking about the weekend, the British use “at”,

and American use “on”:

 At the weekend [British English]

 On the weekend [American English]

Prepositions after verbs

Choosing the right preposition

It depends on the weather

It depends of the weather

We arrived at the hotel in the evening.

We arrived to the hotel in the evening.

Some verbs are followed by a particular preposition and it is important

to use the right one.

Here are some more verb+ preposition combinations that are often used

incorrectly:

They accused her of lying. (Not accuse of)

She doesn’t approve of my friends. (Not approve to)

He complained about the noise. (Not complain over)

I rely on the money I get from selling vegetables. (Not rely of)

We need to talk about your education. (Not talk of)

When is a preposition needed?

She explained to me that the hotel was closed.

She explained me that the hotel was closed.

 That book belongs to Harry.

That book belongs Harry.
Some verbs always need a preposition before an object, and you should
not use them without it.
Here are some more examples of verbs that must have a preposition
when they are used with an object:
He agreed with me.
They apologized for their mistake.
We disposed of the waste materials.
The thief escaped from prison.
I love listening to music.
I’m looking for a pen.
She was searching for her keys.
He suggested to me that we should go by train.
I’m waiting for an important call.
Note also the following verbs, which always need a preposition after the
object where there is also an indirect object:
He described the room to me.
I invited her to my party.
They provided me with the equipment I needed.

When is a preposition not needed?

He told me that he was a doctor.

He told to me that he was a doctor.
We left the party at eleven o’clock.
We left from the party at eleven o’clock.
Some verbs do not need a preposition before an object, and you should
not put one in.
Look at these examples:
She answered me politely. (Not answer to)
Max approached the man. (Not approach to)
I asked Maria what time it was. (Not ask to)
I called him last night. (Not call to)
The book lacked an index. (Not lack of)
He married a woman from Cambridge. (Not marry to)
I need some trousers to match this jacket. (Not match to) We didn’t
reach the hotel until midnight. (Not reach to) They requested a copy of
the document. (Not request for) I returned the book I had borrowed. (Not
return back)
Verb + preposition + -ing
He kept on working.
He kept on to work.
We thought of inviting Max.
We thought of to invite Max.

When a verb is followed by a preposition, the verb that follows it is

usually in the ing form.
Look at these examples:
He dreamed of becoming an actor. She carried on talking.
She insisted on walking all the way.

Where to put the preposition

I gave the money to Marc.
I gave to Marc the money.
I bought a toy for the child.
I bought for the child a toy.
When you use a verb with two objects, you should put the preposition
and the indirect object after the direct object.
Prepositions after adjectives
Choosing the right preposition
We’re all responsible for cleaning our own rooms. We’re all responsible
to clean our own rooms. Several reporters were present at the event.
Several reporters were present in the event.
Some adjectives are followed by a particular preposition when they are
used after a linking verb, and it is important to use the right one.
Here are some important adjective + preposition combinations:
accustomed to adjacent to allergic to averse to
aware of capable of
close to compatible with devoted to different from excited about
filled with fond of
full of incapable of interested in lacking in prone to related to resigned to
resistant to similar to susceptible to
In some cases, there is a choice between two prepositions after the
adjective. Here are some adjectives that are used with either of two
prepositions:
connected to/with dependent on/upon immune from/to inclined
to/towards parallel to/with reliant on/upon
Note also that British speakers of English sometimes say that one thing
is different to another thing, meaning the same as different from. Some
people consider different to incorrect so in formal writing, it is better to
use different from.
Omission of preposition

The following are examples of mistakes made through the omission of

the preposition after certain words:

 Ask for a thing, not ask a thing

Don’t say: he came and asked my book.

Say: he came and asked for my book.

 Dream of a thing, not dream a thing

Don’t say: young men dream glory and riches.

Say: young men dream of glory and riches.

 Explain to a person, not explain a person

Don’t say: she explained me the matter.

Say: she explained the matter to me.

 Knock at the door, not knock the door.

Don’t say: who is knocking the door?

Say: who is knocking at the door?

 Remind a person of something, not remind a person something.

 Don’t say: please remind me that later.

Say: please remind me of that later.

 Wish for a thing, not wish a thing

Don’t say: he does not wish and reward.

Say: he does not wish for and reward.

 Unnecessary preposition

The words below do not require a preposition to go with them

because they have within them the meaning of the preposition.

 Answer (= reply to)

Don’t say: please answer to my question.

Say: please answer my question.

 Approach (=come near to)

Don’t say: do not approach to that house.

Say: do not approach that house.

 Ask (=put a question to)

Don’t say: I asked to the teacher about it.

Say: I asked the teacher about it.

 Attach (=go and fight against)

Don’t say: they attacked against the enemy.

Say: they attacked the enemy.

 Enter (=go into)

 Don’t say: we entered into the classroom.

Say: we entered the classroom.

NOTE but we enter “into” a conversation, a debate, discussion.

 Finished (=come to the end of)

Don’t say: I have finished from my work.

Say: I have finished my work.

 Leave (=depart from)

Don’t say: he left from England last week.

Say: he left England last week.

 Obey (=act according to)

Don’t say: we should obey to our teacher.

Say: we should obey our teacher

 Permit (=give permission to)

Don’t say: he permitted to him to stay here.

Say: he permitted him to stay here.

NOTE “allow” is similar in meaning and use to “permit”: as, “he

allowed him to stay here.”

 Reach (=arrive at)

Don’t say: we reached at the school early.

Say: we reached the school early

 Using of wrong preposition

Mistakes are often made by using a wrong preposition after certain

words. The following list includes the words which most often

give trouble.

 Afraid of, not from

Don’t say: the girl is afraid from the dog.

Say: the girl is afraid of the dog.

 Aim at, not on or against

Don’t say: he aimed on (or against) the bird.

Say: he aimed at the bird.

 Arrive at, not to

Don’t say: we arrived to the village at night.

Say: we arrived at the village at night.

NOTE “arrive in” is used of countries and large cities: as, “mr.

smith has arrived in London (new york, India, etc.)”

 Complain of, not for

Don’t say: many people complain for the heat.

Say: many people complain of the heat.

 Congratulate on, not for

Don’t say: I congratulate you for your success.

Say: I congratulate you on your success.

 Different from, not than

Don’t say: my book is different than yours.

Say: my book is different from yours.

 Disappointed in, not from

Don’t say: I was disappointed from his work.

Say: I was disappointed in his work.

 Good at, not in

Don’t say: my brother is good in mathematics.

Say: my brother is good at mathematics.

 Jealous of, not from

Don’t say: he is very jealous from his brother.

Say: he is very jealous of his brother.

 Proud of, not for

Don’t say: he is very proud for his promotion.

Say: he is very proud of his promotion.