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