Material on Prepositions

Prepostions

The prepositions at, in and on are often used in English to talk about places (positions) and times. Sometimes the choice of one over another in a particular phrase or sentence seems arbitrary. However if we analyse patterns of occurrence we can identify key concepts in meaning and usage which consistently apply and can be used as a platform for learning.

1. Prepositions of time

The preposition AT is used in the following descriptions of time:

With clock times:

• My last train leaves at 10:30.
• We left at midnight.
• The meeting starts at two thirty.

With specific times of day, or mealtimes:

• He doesn’t like driving at night.
• I’ll go shopping at lunchtime.
• I like to read the children a story at bedtime.

With festivals:

• Are you going home at Christmas/Easter?

In certain fixed expressions which refer to specific points in time:

• Are you leaving at the weekend?**
• She’s working at the moment.
• He’s unavailable at present.
• I finish the course at the end of April.
• We arrived at the same time.

**Note that in American English, on the weekend is the correct form.

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The preposition IN is used in the following descriptions of time:

With months, years, seasons, and longer periods of time:

• I was born in 1965.
• We’re going to visit them in May.
• The pool is closed in winter.
• He was famous in the 1980’s.
• The play is set in the Middle Ages.
• They’ve done work for me in the past.

With periods of time during the day:

• He’s leaving in the morning.
• She usually has a sleep in the afternoon(s).
• I tried to work in the evening.

To describe the amount of time needed to do something:

• They managed to finish the job in two weeks.
• You can travel there and back in a day.
• To indicate when something will happen in the future:
• She’ll be ready in a few minutes.
• He’s gone away but he’ll be back in a couple of days.

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The preposition ON is used in the following descriptions of time:

With days of the week, and parts of days of the week:

• I’ll see you on Friday.
• She usually works on Mondays.
• We’re going to the theatre on Wednesday evening.

Note that in spoken English, on is often omitted in this context, e.g.: I’ll see you Friday.

With dates:

• The interview is on 29th April.
• He was born on February 14th 1995.

With special days:

• She was born on Valentine’s day.
• We move house on Christmas Eve.
• I have an exam on my birthday.

If we examine these different aspects of usage for the three prepositions, a general pattern emerges. At is generally used in reference to specific times on the clock or points of time in the day. In generally refers to longer periods of time, several hours or more. On is used with dates and named days of the week.

2. Prepositions of place

The preposition AT is used in the following descriptions of place/position:

With specific places/points in space:

• She kept the horse at a nearby farm.
• I had a cup of coffee at Helen’s (house/flat).
• Angie’s still at home.
• I’ll meet you at reception.
• There’s a man at the door.
• I saw her standing at the bus stop.
• Turn right at the traffic lights.
• The index is at the back of the book.
• Write your name at the top of each page.

With public places and shops:

• Jane’s at the dentist/hairdresser.
• I studied German at college/school/university.
• Shall I meet you at the station?
• We bought some bread at the supermarket.

With addresses:

• They live at 70, Duncombe Place.

With events:

• I met her at last year’s conference. She wasn’t at Simon’s party.

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The preposition ON is used in the following descriptions of place/position:

With surfaces, or things that can be thought of as surfaces:

• The letter is on my desk.
• There was a beautiful painting on the wall.
• The toy department is on the first floor.
• Write the number down on a piece of paper.
• You’ve got a dirty mark on your jumper.
• He had a large spot on his nose.
• She placed her hand on my shoulder.

With roads/streets, or other things that can be thought of as a line, e.g.: rivers:

• The bank is on the corner of King’s Street.
• Koblenz is on the Rhine.
• Bournemouth is on the south coast.
• It’s the second turning on the left.

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The preposition IN is used in the following descriptions of place/position:

With geographical regions:

• Driving in France is very straightforward.
• Orgiva is a very small village in the mountains.

With cities, towns and larger areas:

• Do you like living in Nottingham?
• They were having a picnic in the park.
• She works somewhere in the toy department.

With buildings/rooms and places that can be thought of as surrounding a person or object on all sides:

• Can you take a seat in the waiting room please?
• I’ve left my bag in the office.
• There’s a wedding in the church this afternoon.
• Lots of people were swimming in the lake

With containers:

• There’s fresh milk in the fridge.
• I think I’ve got a tissue in my pocket.
• The money is in the top drawer of my desk.

With liquids and other substances, to show what they contain:

• Do you take milk in your coffee?
• I can taste garlic in this sauce.
• There’s a lot of fat in cheese and butter.

A general pattern again emerges if we consider these different aspects of usage. We can think of at as one-dimensional, referring to a specific place or position in space. On is two dimensional, referring to the position of something in relation to a surface. In is by contrast three-dimensional, referring to the position of something in relation to the things that surround it. Thinking of the prepositions in these terms helps us explain certain facts. For instance, in is generally used for larger places and at for smaller, more specific places, so we say:

We arrived in Inverness two hours ago.

But:

We arrived at the campsite two hours ago.

However, if we think of a city or larger place as a specific point in space, we can use at, e.g.:

The train stops at Birmingham and Bristol.

Or if we think of a smaller place as three dimensional, we can use in, e.g.:

We’ve lived in this little village for many years.

3. Prepositions at/in/on – extended meanings

A systematic analysis of the occurrence of the prepositions at, in and on in their core usage as indicators of time and place, helps us establish some key meaning concepts which will aid us in identifying and explaining their extended meanings:

• at - is a mechanism for denoting the specific, it usually refers to fixed points in time (e.g.: clock times) and specific points in space.
• on – is a mechanism which usually describes something in relation to a second, often linear dimension, hence it relates to the calendar (days and dates) and surfaces or lines.
• in – is a mechanism for describing something in relation to the things that surround it in time or space, hence it relates to periods of time and three dimensional spaces or containers.

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Extended meaning of AT

• At is used for showing specific temperatures, prices and speeds, etc.

Tickets are now on sale at £15 each.

He denied driving at 110 miles per hour.

• And more generally to talk about the level or rate of something, e.g.:

Interest rates have stayed at this level for several months.

The loan repayments are going up at an alarming rate.

• At is used to show when someone is a particular age:, e.g.:

He began composing at the age of 5.

She chose not to retire at 65.

• At is used to show that an activity is directed specifically towards someone or something:

He’s always shouting at the children.

Jamie threw the ball at the wall.

Why are you staring at her like that?

• At is used to show the specific cause of a feeling or reaction:

Audiences still laugh at her jokes.

We were rather surprised at the news.

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Extended meanings of ON

• On is used to show movement in the direction of a surface:

We could hear the rain falling on the roof.

I dropped my bags on the floor.

• On is used to show when the surface of something accidentally hits or touches a part of the body:

I cut my finger on a sharp knife.

She banged her head on the cupboard door.

• On is used to show that a part of someone’s body is supporting their weight:

She was balancing on one leg.

He was on his hands and knees under the table.

• On is used to show that something is included in a list:

He’s not on the list of suspects.

How many items are on the agenda?

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Extended meanings of in

• In is used to show movement towards the inside of a container, place or area:

She put the letter back in her briefcase..

The farmer fired a few shots in the air.

• In is used to show when something is part of something else:

I’ve found one or two spelling mistakes in your essay.

Who’s the little girl in the photograph?

There are several valuable paintings in the collection.

• In is used to show that someone is wearing something:

Do you know that girl in the black dress?

A man in a brown suit was walking towards her.

• In is used to show how things are arranged, expressed or written:

We gathered round in a circle.

Their names are given in alphabetical order.

Complete the form in block capitals.

She spoke to me in Spanish.

Prepositions of time

Preposition of time	Explanations	Example
on	days weekend (American English)	Many shops don't open on Sundays. What did you do on the weekend?
in	months / seasons / year morning / evening / afternoon period of time	I visited Italy in July, in spring, in 1994 In the evenings, I like to relax. This is the first cigarette I've had in three years.
at	night weekend (British English) used to show an exact or a particular time:	It gets cold at night. What did you do at the weekend? There's a meeting at 2.30 this afternoon / at lunch time.
since	from a particular time in the past until a later time, or until now	England have not won the World Cup in football since 1966
for	used to show an amount of time.	I'm just going to bed for an hour or so.
ago	back in the past; back in time from the present:	The dinosaurs died out 65 million years ago.
before	at or during a time earlier than	She's always up before dawn.
to	used when saying the time, to mean before the stated hour	It's twenty to six.
past	telling the time	five past ten
to	until a particular time, marking end of a period of time	It's only two weeks to Christmas.
from	used to show the time when something starts	The museum is open from 9.30 to 6.00 Tuesday to Sunday.
till / until	up to (the time that)	We waited till / until half past six for you.
by	not later than; at or before	She had promised to be back by five o'clock.

Exercises on Prepositions

Choose the right preposition of place:

1. In the picture, I can see a family in a kitchen.
2. There is a vase and fruits on the worktop.
3. The mother is standing in front of her husband and her daughter.
4. She is holding a mug in in her hand.
5. The father and the daughter are sitting at the worktop on beautiful iron chairs.
6. There is a picture on the wall.
7. There is a window behind the father.
8. The woman is looking at her daughter.

Prepositions of place

Preposition of place	Explanation	Example
in	inside	I watch TV in the living-room I live in New York Look at the picture in the book 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
at	used to show an exact position or particular place table events place where you are to do something typical (watch a film, study, work)	I met her at the entrance, at the bus stop She sat at the table at a concert, at the party at the movies, at university, at work
on	attached next to or along the side of (river) used to show that something is in a position above something else and touching it. left, right a floor in a house used for showing some methods of traveling television, radio	Look at the picture on the wall 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, beside, near	not far away in distance	The girl who is by / next to / beside the house.
between	in or into the space which separates two places, people or objects	The town lies halfway between Rome and Florence.
behind	at the back (of)	I hung my coat behind the door.
in front of	further forward than someone or something else	She started talking to the man in front of her
under	lower than (or covered by) something else	the cat is under the chair.
below	lower than something else.	the plane is just below the the cloud
over	above or higher than something else, sometimes so that one thing covers the other. more than. across from one side to the other. overcoming an obstacle	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
above	higher than something else, but not directly over it	a path above the lake
across	from one side to the other of something with clear limits / getting to the other side	She walked across the field/road. He sailed across the Atlantic
through	from one end or side of something to the other	They walked slowly through the woods.
to	in the direction of bed	We went to Prague last year. I go to bed at ten.
into	towards the inside or middle of something and about to be contained, surrounded or enclosed by it	Shall we go into the garden?
towards	in the direction of, or closer to someone or something	She stood up and walked towards him.
onto	used to show movement into or on a particular place	I slipped as I stepped onto the platform.
from	used to show the place where someone or something starts:	What time does the flight from Amsterdam arrive?

Exercise on prepositions.

Choose the right preposition of time:

1. What are you doing on Saturday?
2. I am going to the countryside in the weekend.
3. I haven't been to the countryside since
4. What time are you leaving?
5. 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.
6. So you'll be there for the whole weekend. I'll be missing you!

Other Prepositions

Preposition	Explanation	Example
from	used to show the origin of something or someone used to show the material of which something is made used to show a change in the state of someone or something	"Where are you from?" "I'm from Italy." The desk is made from pine. Things went from bad to worse.
of	used to show possession, belonging or origin used after words or phrases expressing amount, number or particular unit	a friend of mine a kilo of apples
by	used to show the person or thing that does something:	I'm reading some short stories (written) by Chekhov.
on	used for showing some methods of travelling entering a public transport vehicle	It'd be quicker to get there on foot / on horse get on the train
in	entering a car  / Taxi	She got in the car and drove fast.
off	leaving a public transport vehicle	She got off the bus
out of	leaving a car  / Taxi	She got out of the train
by	used to show measurements or amounts travelling (other than walking or horseriding)	Their wages were increased by 12%. She went by car, by bus, by train
at	age	In theory, women can still have children at the age of 50.
about	on the subject of; connected with	What's that book about?

Exercise on prepositions.

Choose the right preposition of place:

1. In the picture, I can see a family in a kitchen.
2. There is a vase and fruits on the worktop.
3. The mother is standing in front of her husband and her daughter.
4. She is holding a mug in in her hand.
5. The father and the daughter are sitting at the worktop on beautiful iron chairs.
6. There is a picture on the wall.
7. There is a window behind the father.
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 in the weekend.
3. What time are you leaving?
4. 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!

References:-

1) http://www.onestopenglish.com/grammar/grammar-reference/nouns-and-phrases/prepositions-of-time-and-place-article/152825.article

2)http://www.myenglishpages.com/site_php_files/grammar-lesson-other-     prepositions.php#.Us-KmVLPq9s