Präpositions – Time
English Usage Example
on days of the week on Monday
in months / seasons in August / in winter
time of day in the morning
year in 2006
after a certain period of time (when?) in an hour
at for night at night
for weekend at the weekend
a certain point of time (when?) at half past nine
since from a certain point of time (past till since 1980
now)
for over a certain period of time (past till for 2 years
now)
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 / marking the beginning and end of a from Monday to/till Friday
until period of time
till / until in the sense of how long something is He is on holiday until Friday.
going to last
by in the sense of at the latest I will be back by 6 o’clock.
up to a certain time By 11 o'clock, I had read five pages.
Präpositions – Place (Position and Direction)
English Usage Example
in room, building, street, town, country in the kitchen, in London
book, paper etc. in the book
car, taxi in the car, in a taxi
picture, world in the picture, in the world
at meaning next to, by an object at the door, at the station
for table at the table
for events at a concert, at the party
place where you are to do something at the cinema, at school, at work
typical (watch a film, study, work)
English Usage Example
on attached the picture on the wall
for a place with a river London lies on the Thames.
being on a surface on the table
for a certain side (left, right) on the left
for a floor in a house on the first floor
for public transport on the bus, on a plane
for television, radio on TV, on the radio
by, next to, left or right of somebody or something Jane is standing by / next to / beside the
beside car.
under on the ground, lower than (or covered the bag is under the table
by) something else
below lower than something else but above the fish are below the surface
ground
over covered by something else put a jacket over your shirt
meaning more than over 16 years of age
getting to the other side (also across) walk over the bridge
overcoming an obstacle climb over the wall
above higher than something else, but not a path above the lake
directly over it
across getting to the other side (also over) walk across the bridge
getting to the other side swim across the lake
through something with limits on top, bottom drive through the tunnel
and the sides
to movement to person or building go to the cinema
movement to a place or country go to London / Ireland
for bed go to bed
into enter a room / a building go into the kitchen / the house
towards
movement in the direction of something go 5 steps towards the house
(but not directly to it)
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 a page of the book
English Usage Example
what does it show the picture of a palace
by who made it a book by Mark Twain
on walking or riding on horseback on foot, on horseback
entering a public transport vehicle 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 prices have risen by 10 percent
travelling (other than walking or by car, by bus
horseriding)
at for age she learned Russian at 45
about for topics, meaning what about we were talking about you
