What do prepositions do?
A preposition shows the relationship between a noun and the rest of the sentence: time (at six), place (in London), direction (to school) and more. They are small words but easy to get wrong, because they rarely translate word for word.
In, on, at: time
in
long periods
on
days / dates
at
exact times
| Preposition | Use | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| in | months, years, seasons, parts of the day | in May, in 2024, in summer, in the morning |
| on | days and dates | on Monday, on 5 June, on my birthday |
| at | exact times and some fixed phrases | at 6 o’clock, at noon, at night, at the weekend (UK) |
In, on, at: place
| Preposition | Use | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| in | inside an area or space | in a room, in London, in the car |
| on | on a surface or a line | on the table, on the wall, on the bus |
| at | a point or a place for an activity | at the bus stop, at school, at the door |
By, for, since
| Word | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| by | means of transport / deadline / the doer | by bus, by Friday, written by Dickens |
| for | a period of time / purpose / the receiver | for two hours, for fun, a present for you |
| since | from a point in the past until now | since 2019, since Monday |
| to / from | direction, start and end | from Paris to Rome |
| into / out of | movement | He walked into the room. |
Common preposition + word pairs
| Pattern | Examples |
|---|---|
| adjective + preposition | good at maths, interested in art, afraid of dogs, tired of waiting, proud of you |
| verb + preposition | listen to music, depend on the weather, wait for the bus, look at this, belong to me |
| noun + preposition | a reason for it, a solution to the problem, a cause of the fire |
Lots of examples
- The class starts at nine on Monday.Time.
- I was born in 1998 in Karachi.Year and city.
- Put the book on the table.Surface.
- She is waiting at the bus stop.Point.
- We travel by train.Transport.
- I’ve lived here for five years.Duration.
- I’ve lived here since 2020.Starting point.
- Submit your essay by Friday.Deadline.
- He is very good at football.Adjective + at.
- I’m interested in history.Adjective + in.
- She is afraid of spiders.Adjective + of.
- Don’t forget to listen to the instructions.Verb + to.
Don’t say / Say
Don’t sayI’ll see you in Monday.
SayI’ll see you on Monday.Why: Days → on.
Don’t sayShe is good in English.
SayShe is good at English.Why: Good at.
Don’t sayI’m interested on music.
SayI’m interested in music.Why: Interested in.
Don’t sayI live here since 2020.
SayI have lived here since 2020.Why: Since + present perfect.
Don’t sayHe arrived to London.
SayHe arrived in London.Why: Arrive in / at, never to.