English prepositions on, in, at, of, for, from , to, into, by, across, around, near, with, about, along…

A preposition is an invariable word, which introduces, according to a certain relationship of meaning, a complement of verb, noun, adjective or adverb. There are a lot of English prepositions, and you need to know at least the main prepositions to get by in English.

A preposition is an invariable word, which introduces, according to a certain relationship of meaning, a complement of verb, noun, adjective or adverb.

Examples: on, in, at, of, for, from , to, into, by, across, around, near, with, about, along…

THE PREPOSITION ON:

meanings and examples:
– on: The book is on the table
– in: We are on the bus
– to / at: He hangs the light on the wall

THE PREPOSITION IN:

meanings and examples:
– in: Maria was born in London
– in: South Africa is going to host the next World Cup in 2010

it is also used:
– for day games: example ==> in the morning
– for the seasons: example ===> in the summer
– for the months: example ====> in September

THE PREPOSITION AT:

meanings and examples:
– to: Someone is knocking at the door

it is also used:

– for age: example ====> My friend got married at the age of 20
– for now: example ====> I wake up at 7 o’clock
– in the expression ‘to be good at something’ ====> I am very good at maths

THE PREPOSITION OF

meanings and examples:
– from: The color of the sky is blue
it is also used:
– in the expression ‘That’s nice of him. ‘

THE PREPOSITION FOR

meanings and examples:
– for: She buys some clothes for the children
– during: He has gone on a trip for 2 weeks

THE PREPOSITION FROM:

meanings and examples:
– from: I have just received a letter from my friend Maria

: I am from France

– from: From today , I’ll spend more time on reading books
– because of: I am tired from the journey

THE PREPOSITION TO

meanings and examples:
– to: I have been to Japan
: I walk to the bus station
: He works from dawn to sunset

THE PREPOSITION INTO:

meanings and examples:
– in: He puts it into his suitcase
– en : He uses the dictionary to translate the word into French

THE PREPOSITION BY

meanings and examples:
– by: He was hit by a truck
– near: My house would be by the sea if I could…
– in: Some pupils go to school by bus

THE ACROSS PREPOSITION:

meanings and examples:
– to the other side of
– cross the street: She walks across the street
– in everything: I would like to travel across America

THE AROUND PREPOSITION:

meanings and examples:

– around: There is a nice garden around our house

THE NEAR PREPOSITION:

meanings and examples:
– close: I live in a house near the school

THE PREPOSITION WITH:

meanings and examples:

– with: I go to school with my friend
– because of: I’m angry with your friend
– to: The woman with blue eyes is over there

THE PREPOSITION ABOUT:

meanings and examples:

– about: We talk about our holidays

THE PREPOSITION ALONG:

meanings and examples:

– along: The tourists walk along the avenue

Plural Words in English: Understanding Irregular Plurals and Their Differences

English prepositions OTHER USES OF “IN”, “AT”, “ON”

We use “we”…
• To refer to the use of an electronic device:
He is on the phone right now.
I listen to the news on the radio.

• With certain names, to indicate a state:
Everything in this store is on sale.
This girl is on fire.

We use “in”…
• To specify a color, shape, or size:
This jacket comes in four different sizes.
Do you have that shirt in blue?

• To express an interest or belief:
He’s interested in arts.
You can do it, I believe in you.

We use “at”…
• With certain verbs, to indicate towards whom or what an action is directed:
Look at this!
Why are you staring at me? Are you mad at me? Stop laughing at me!

PREPOSITIONS OF TIME IN ENGLISH

When to use “on”
• For specific dates and days:
I was born on the 14th of June in 1988.
Let’s meet on Saturday!

When to use “in”
• For a month, a year, a waiting time, a time of day, a season:
The new semester will start in March.
Lunch is in 20 minutes.

When to use “at”
• For a specific time or hour:
I will meet you at 12 p.m.
I’m reading a book at the moment.

PREPOSITIONS OF PLACE IN ENGLISH

When to use “on”
• To indicate a position – something is on top of something else:
The paper is on my desk.
I’m on top of the world!

• To specify a street or avenue:
We are on 5th Avenue.
The restaurant is on Smith Street.

• To specify an external body part:
She kissed me on the cheek.
I have a tattoo on my shoulder.

When to use “in”
• To indicate position – someone or something is in something else:
Brian is in the kitchen right now.
Plates are in the cupboard.

• To evoke a district, a city, a region, a country, a continent:
Genia lives in England.
Marcelo works in New York.

• To indicate an internal part of the body:
You’ll always be in my heart.
In his head, everything is fine.

When to use “at”
• To specify a specific location:
I will meet you at the clubhouse.
I’m staying at my parents’ house.

Beware of confusion:

• For cities, countries and districts, we use in.
• For streets and avenues, we use on.
• For specific addresses, at is used.

→ We will therefore say:
The school is in Covent Garden. (Piece)
The school is on Southampton Place. (Street)
The school is at 3 Southampton Place. (Address)

Sources: PinterPandai, Grammarly, Grammar Book

Photo credit: Individual images provided by Thirunavukkarasye-Raveendran (CC BY-SA 3.0) via Wikipedia Commons

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