Prepositions – 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 in an hour
time (when?)
at for night at night
for weekend at the weekend
a certain point of at half past nine
time (when?)
since from a certain point of since 1980
time (past till now)
for over a certain period of for 2 years
time (past till now)
ago a certain time in the past 2 years ago
before earlier than a certain before 2004
point of time
to telling the time ten to six (5:50)
past telling the time ten past six (6:10)
to / till / marking the beginning from Monday to/till Friday
until and end of a period of time
till / until in the sense of how long He is on holiday until Friday.
something is going to last
by in the sense of at the I will be back by 6 o’clock.
latest By 11 o'clock, I had read five pages.
up to a certain time
Prepositions – Place (Position and Direction)
English Usage Example
in room, building, in the kitchen, in London
street, town, country in the book
book, paper etc. in the car, in a taxi
English Usage Example
car, taxi in the picture, in the world
picture, world
at meaning next to, at the door, at the station
by an object at the table
for table at a concert, at the party
for events at the cinema, at school, at work
place where you
are to do something
typical (watch a film,
study, work)
on attached the picture on the wall
for a place with a London lies on the Thames.
river on the table
being on a on the left
surface
on the first floor
for a certain side
on the bus, on a plane
(left, right)
on TV, on the radio
for a floor in a
house
for public
transport
for television,
radio
by, next to, left or right of Jane is standing by / next to / beside the car.
beside somebody or
something
under on the ground, the bag is under the table
lower than (or covered
by) something else
below lower than the fish are below the surface
something else but
above ground
over covered by put a jacket over your shirt
something else over 16 years of age
meaning more walk over the bridge
than
climb over the wall
getting to the
other side
(also across)
English Usage Example
overcoming an
obstacle
above higher than a path above the lake
something else, but
not directly over it
across getting to the walk across the bridge
other side (also over) swim across the lake
getting to the
other side
through something with drive through the tunnel
limits on top, bottom
and the sides
to movement to go to the cinema
person or building go to London / Ireland
movement to a go to bed
place or country
for bed
into enter a room / a go into the kitchen / the house
building
towards movement in the go 5 steps towards the house
direction of something
(but not directly to it)
onto movement to the jump onto the table
top of something
from in the sense a flower from the garden
of where from
Other important Prepositions
English Usage Example
from who gave it a present from Jane
of who/what does it a page of the book
belong to the picture of a palace
what does it show
by who made it a book by Mark Twain
on walking or riding on on foot, on horseback
English Usage Example
horseback get on the bus
entering a public
transport vehicle
in entering a car / Taxi get in the car
off leaving a public get off the train
transport vehicle
out of leaving a car / Taxi get out of the taxi
by rise or fall of prices have risen by 10 percent
something by car, by bus
travelling (other than
walking or horseriding)
at for age she learned Russian at 45
about for topics, we were talking about you
meaning what about
