Prepositions

Here is table that you can use as a reference to the use of English prepositions

Prepositions – Time

English	Usage	Example
on	days of the week	on Monday
in	months / seasons time of day year after a certain period of time (when?)	in August / in winter in the morning in 2006 in an hour
at	for night for weekend a certain point of time (when?)	at night at the weekend at half past nine
since	from a certain point of time (past till now)	since 1980
for	over a certain period of time (past till now)	for 2 years
ago	a certain time in the past	2 years ago
before	earlier than a certain point of time	before 2004
to	telling the time	ten to six (5:50)
past	telling the time	ten past six (6:10)
to / till / until	marking the beginning and end of a period of time	from Monday to/till Friday
till / until	in the sense of how long something is going to last	He is on holiday until Friday.
by	in the sense of at the latest up to a certain time	I will be back by 6 o’clock. By 11 o'clock, I had read five pages.

Prepositions – Place (Position and Direction)

English	Usage	Example
in	room, building, street, town, country book, paper etc. car, taxi picture, world	in the kitchen, in London in the book in the car, in a taxi in the picture, in the world
at	meaning next to, by an object for table for events place where you are to do something typical (watch a film, study, work)	at the door, at the station at the table at a concert, at the party at the cinema, at school, at work
on	attached for a place with a river being on a surface for a certain side (left, right) for a floor in a house for public transport for television, radio	the picture on the wall London lies on the Thames. on the table on the left on the first floor on the bus, on a plane on TV, on the radio
by, next to, beside	left or right of somebody or something	Jane is standing by / next to / beside the car.
under	on the ground, lower than (or covered by) something else	the bag is under the table
below	lower than something else but above ground	the fish are below the surface
over	covered by something else meaning more than getting to the other side (also across) overcoming an obstacle	put a jacket over your shirt over 16 years of age walk over the bridge climb over the wall
above	higher than something else, but not directly over it	a path above the lake
across	getting to the other side (also over) getting to the other side	walk across the bridge swim across the lake
through	something with limits on top, bottom and the sides	drive through the tunnel
to	movement to person or building movement to a place or country for bed	go to the cinema go to London / Ireland go to bed
into	enter a room / a building	go into the kitchen / the house
towards	movement in the direction of something (but not directly to it)	go 5 steps towards the house
onto	movement to the top of something	jump onto the table
from	in the sense of where from	a flower from the garden

Other important Prepositions

English	Usage	Example
from	who gave it	a present from Jane
of	who/what does it belong to what does it show	a page of the book the picture of a palace
by	who made it	a book by Mark Twain
on	walking or riding on horseback entering a public transport vehicle	on foot, on horseback get on the bus
in	entering a car  / Taxi	get in the car
off	leaving a public transport vehicle	get off the train
out of	leaving a car  / Taxi	get out of the taxi
by	rise or fall of something travelling (other than walking or horseriding)	prices have risen by 10 percent by car, by bus
at	for age	she learned Russian at 45
about	for topics, meaning what about	we were talking about you

Prepositions of Place

Exercise

Write a sentence to explain each of the pictures below.

Exercise on Prepositions – Place

Complete the exercise according to the picture.

1. AtInOn the picture, I can see a woman.
2. The woman is sitting atin front ofon a table.
3. She is sitting atinon a chair.
4. There is another chair acrossbesideopposite the woman.
5. Her feet are besideonunder the table
6. The woman is holding a cup atininto her hands.
7. AboveAtOn the table are a laptop, a paper, a calculator, an appointment calendar, two pens and a muffin.
8. The woman is looking atonto her laptop.
9. The woman's bag is betweenbehindunder the table

Exercise on Prepositions – McDonald’s

Complete the exercise with the correct prepositions.

1. The first McDonald’s restaurant was opened  Dick and Mac McDonald  the 15th  May 1940.
2. The best selling products  their restaurant were hamburgers.
3. So the McDonald brothers thought  a way to produce hamburgers more quickly.
4. This was introduced  1948 and became known  the Speedee Service System.
5. The first franchised McDonald’s restaurant was opened  1953, and today you can find McDonald’s restaurants  more than 100 countries.
6. The meats  the burgers vary  the culture  the country.
7. Franchisees and future managers  McDonald’s restaurants are trained  Hamburger University, which is located Oak Brook, a suburb  Chicago.
8. McDonalds is also known  its sponsorship  various international sport events.

Location Prepositions 2

Multiple Choice Exercise

Complete the sentences below by choosing the correct prepositions, then press "Check" to check your answers.

1. You can buy your rail passes atinon the ticket counter atinon any train station atinon the country.

2. The brown bears found atinon Kodiak Island are the largest atinon the world.

3. There is no life atinon the moon, but there are many forms of life atinon the ocean floor.

4. She bought her wedding dress atinon an exclusive shop atinon Fifth Avenue.

5. Nathan was able to exchange money atinon the exchange counter atinon the airport.

6. If you want anything to eat, there is a freshly baked chocolate cake atinon the table atinon the kitchen and plenty of food atinon the refrigerator.

7. While Shirley was in Tacy's department store atinon the mall, she ran into Evan and Lea atinon the furniture department.

8. While Dave was atinon the top of the Eiffel Tower, he could see several tourist boats atinon the Seine, the river that runs through Paris.

9. I stood atinon line for thirty minutes atinon the ticket window atinon the movie theater to get tickets for the film.

10. Mike was sitting atinon his desk atinon his office atinon work when Bill called; Bill was atinon Asia on business.

Exercise on Prepositions – Time

Choose the correct prepositions.

• What are you doing atinon the weekend?
• I don't know yet. Maybe I'll go to the cinema atinon Saturday.
• That's interesting. I haven't been to the cinema forsince so many years.
• We could go there together atinon the afternoon.
• That would be great. But I would prefer to go there atinon the evening. I am visiting my grandma atinon Saturday.
• That's okay. The film starts atinon eight o'clock.
• I can pick you up atinon half topast seven. How long does the film last?
• It lasts fortountil two hours and forty-five minutes.
• BeforeByFrom eight forpasttill a quarter forpastto eleven.
• That's right. But I must hurry home afterbeforepast the film. I have to be home bysinceuntil eleven o'clock.