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Prepositions are locaters in space and time and are used to show
the relation between different words in a sentence.
There are over 100 prepositions, some of which are among the
most common words in the English language. For that reason we
divide them into the following categories:
Prepositions of Time
Prepositions
At- Precise clock times
- Names for precise times
- Holidays periods
- Night, weekend
Ill call you at six oclock ~ We went out at nine
Ill eat at midday ~ She went to sleep at midnight
I visit my family at Christmas/Easter
They go out with their friends at night
On - Specific days- Specific dates
I start my new job on Monday
Her birthday is on the 25th of September
In- Periods of time (months, seasons, years, centuries)
- Morning, Afternoon etc
- Lengths of time
It is cold in the winter ~ I graduated in FebruaryHe was born in
1956 ~ We live in the 21st century
We arrived home in the evening
Ill be there in five or ten minutes
Since
- Over a certain period of time Ive been working here for 2
monthsFor
- From a certain period of time I have been studying since
December
By - Indicates deadline I have to finish this report by three
oclock
Until - Indicates end point Our oces are closed until
Wednesday
- Defines interval They work from nine to five every day
Count down from ten to zero
FromTo
Prepositions of
TimePrepositions of
Place or
Position
Prepositions of
Direction or
Movement
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Prepositions of Place or Position
At- Specific positions
- Common locations
- Events
I live at 205 Evergreen Terrace ~ We waited at the bus stop
Theres somebody at the door ~ She was sitting at her desk
I had a long day at University ~ She stayed at home all day
We met at a party ~ I fell asleep at the conference
On - Touching a surface- Directions
- Technology (TV, Radio, Internet, Computer)
- Floors of buildings
- Street names
- Public Transport
The computer is on the desk
The museum is on the left
Why is there never anything good on TV?
Womens underwear is on the 5th floor Sir
Our shop is located on Newmarket Road
I like reading on the bus
In - Enclosed spaces- Land areas (continents,
countries, regions, cities)
I locked the keys in the car! ~ Hes waiting in his oce
Gandhi was born in India ~ We used to live in Santiago
Next to,Beside
In front of
The man stood in front of the mirror and put on his tie
Under,Below
The woman stood under her umbrella
The temperature was below 5 degrees
Behind The man was hiding behind the tree
The girl is sitting next to / beside her dog
Prepositions of Position
Prepositions of Place & Position
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Prepositions of Direction or Movement
From a low to a high position
From a high to a low position
To Movement towards goal Expresses purpose
We flew to Las Vegas
Going somewhere to do something ~ I called up to ask...
Transforming
One thing entering another
Making contact with a surface
Moving from one surface to another
A caterpillar turns into a butterfly
We went into the cave and poured whisky into our glasses
Into
Onto
TowardsAway From
UpDown
Around
The thief took one step towards the exit,
then ran away from the police
OverUnder
Combining in/on (prepositions of position) with to (preposition
of direction) creates prepositions of movement.
Carla fell into the pool (movement) ~ Carla is in the pool
(position)
* Into can often replace in
*
In the direction of
In the opposite direction of
The stocks in Microsoft went up
She was coming down the stairs
The cat jumped over the fence
I walked under the bridge
Tom jumped onto the roof of the building.
Transfer the data onto a USB stick
Out of To go from inside to outside(Opposite of into)
We drove around the outskirts of the city
Around the World in 80 Days
I was so lost that I started walking around in circles
Back (to) Returning to a previous location This summer Im hoping
to go back to ItalyAs soon as I finish work, I go back home
As soon as they arrived, they got out of the car
Through I looked through the window, then walked through the
door
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Other Important Prepositions
From Who gave an objectAlso as direction
This watch was a gift from my parents
Im driving home from work
OfBelonging to
For reference
To indicate quantity
The first page of the book tells us about the author
We got married in the summer of 2003
Andrew had 3 cups of coee, but he still fell asleep at work
ByWho created something
Who did something
The Mona Lisa is a painting by Leonardo da Vinci
This book is by Oscar Wilde
Your letter was delivered by the postman this morning
About Describing a topicWhat are you talking about?
Tell us a little about yourself?
This book is about the Second World War
With
To connect objects
To indicate having
To indicate using
To indicate agreement
I ordered a hamburger with chips
Luke went to dinner with his wife
The man with the long beard spoke with an unusual accent
I ate my dinner with a knife and fork
Yes, I absolutely agree with you
ForTo indicate purpose
To mean because of
Tina studied hard for her final exam
For this reason, I have decided to quit my job
I am very sorry for your loss
