PREPOSITIONS
Maarja Lattik
Kanepi Gymansium
Form 11
I AM GOING TO TALK ABOUT...
Prepositions: in, at, on
 Prepositions of place and directions
 Prepositions with expressions of time
 Exercises
 References

PREPOSITIONS (IN, AT, ON)
At for a POINT, PRECISE TIME
 In for a ENCLOUSED SPACE, MONTHS,
YEARS, CENTURIES, LONG PERIODS
 On for a SURFACE, DAYS, DATES

at
in
on
POINT
ENCLOSED SPACE
SURFACE
At the corner
In the garden
On the wall
At the bus stop
In London
On the ceiling
At the door
In France
On the floor
At the top of the page
In a box
On the cover
At the end of the road
In my pocket
On the floor
At the entrance
In my wallet
On the carpet
At the crossroads
In a building
On the menu
At the front desk
In a car
On a page
at
in
on
PRECISE TIME
MONTHS, YEARS,
CENTURIES, LONG
PERIODS
DAYS, DATES
at 3 o’clock
in May
on Sundays
at 10.30am
in summer
on Tuesdays
at noon
in the summer
on 6 March
at dinnertime
in 1990
on 25 Dec. 2010
at bedtime
in the 1990s
on Christmas Day
at sunrise
in the next century
on Independence Day
at sunset
in the Ice Age
on my birthday
at the moment
in the past/future
on New Year’s
Eve
PREPOSIIONS OF PLACE AND DIRECTIONS
PREPOSITION
USE
EXAMPLE
opposite
on the other side
Our house is opposite the
supermarket.
under/below
lower than eth
The cat is under the table.
over/above
higher than sth
The cat jumped over the wall-
by
near
He lives in the house by the river.
behind
at the back of
Our house is behind the shop.
in front of
the part that is in the direction
it faces
Our house is in front of the
supermarket.
between
sth/sb is on each side
Our house is between the
supermarket and the school.
into
entering sth
You shouldn't go into the castle.
out of
leaving sth
The cat jumped out of the window.
up
from low to high
He went up the hill.
throught
going from one point to the
other point
You shouldn't walk through the
forest.
across
from on side to the other side
There isn't a bridge across the river
beside
next to
Our house is beside the bus stop.
around
in the circular way
We're sitting around the campfire.
PREPOSITIONS WITH EXPRESSIONS OF
TIME
PREPOSITION
USE
EXAMPLE
after
later than sth.
after school
ago
6 years ago
how far sth. happened (in the past)
before
earlier than sth.
before Christmas
between
time that separates two points
between Monday and Friday
by
not later than a special time
by Thursday
during
through the whole of a period of time
for
period of time
from ... to from... till/until
period of time
from Monday to Wednesday
from Monday till Wednesday
from Monday until Wednesday
past
time of the day
23 minutes past 6 (6:23)
since
point of time
since Monday
to
time of the day
23 minutes to 6 (5:37)
up to
not more than a special time
up to 6 hours a day
within
during a period of time
within a day
during the holidays
EXERCISE

Choose the correct preposition in each sentence.
1) I slept
(of, to, for) only two hours last
night.
2) It was my first trip
(of, to, for) Hawaii.
3) Turn off the TV and go straight
(of, to,
for) bed.
4) This book was written
(of, to, for) the
people who want to learn how to play a guitar.
5) I was late
(of, to, for) school.
6) Spencer is one
(of, to, for) my best
friends.
KEY
1)
2)
3)
4)
5)
6)
for
to
to
for
for
of
EXERCISE
Fill the gaps with the correct prepositions.
1. We live ... London.
2. Would you like to go ... the cinema tonight?
3. No, thanks. I was ... the cinema yesterday.
4. We are going ... holiday next week.
5. There is a bridge ... the river.
6. ... my wall, there are many picture postcards.
7. Who is the person ... this picture?
8. Come ... the sitting room, we want to watch TV.
9. Munich lies 530 meters ... sea level.
KEY
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
in
to
at
on
across
On
in
into
above
REFERENCES
http://www.englishclub.com/grammar/preposition
s-at-in-on-place.htm
 http://www.englishclub.com/grammar/preposition
s-at-in-on-time.htm
 http://england.caduff.org/505835956d0c08101/505
835956e0ca5b0d/index.html
 http://www.englischhilfen.de/en/grammar/prepositions_place.htm
 http://www.englischhilfen.de/en/grammar/preposition_time.htm
 http://www.ego4u.com/en/cramup/grammar/prepositions/exercises?default

THANK YOU! 