Prepositions Time
English
on in
Usage
days of the week months / seasons time of day year
Example
on Monday
in August / in winter in the morning in 2006 in an hour at night
after a certain period of time (when?) for night for weekend
at
at the weekend at half past nine since 1980 for 2 years 2 years ago before 2004 ten to six (5:50) ten past six (6:10)
a certain point of time (when?)
since for ago before to past to / till / until till / until
from a certain point of time (past till now) over a certain period of time (past till now) a certain time in the past
earlier than a certain point of time telling the time telling the time
marking the beginning and end of a period of time in the sense of how long something is going to last in the sense of at the latest up to a certain time
from Monday to/till Friday
He is on holiday until Friday.
by
I will be back by 6 oclock.
By 11 o'clock, I had read five pages.
Prepositions Place (Position and Direction)
English
in
Usage
room, building, street, town, country book, paper etc. car, taxi picture, world
Example
in the kitchen, in London in the book in the car, in a taxi
in the picture, in the world at the door, at the station at the table
at
meaning next to, by an object for table for events
at a concert, at the party at the cinema, at school, at work
place where you are to do something typical (watch a film, study, work) attached
on
the picture on the wall London lies on the Thames. on the table on the left on the first floor on TV, on the radio
for a place with a river being on a surface for a floor in a house for public transport for television, radio for a certain side (left, right)
on the bus, on a plane
by, next to, beside under
left or right of somebody or something
Jane is standing by / next to / beside the car.
on the ground, lower than (or covered by) something else lower than something else but above ground covered by something else meaning more than overcoming an obstacle
the bag is under the table
below over
the fish are below the surface put a jacket over your shirt over 16 years of age walk over the bridge climb over the wall a path above the lake
getting to the other side (also across)
above
higher than something else, but not directly over it getting to the other side (also over) getting to the other side
across
walk across the bridge swim across the lake drive through the tunnel
through
something with limits on top, bottom and the sides
English
to
Usage
movement to person or building movement to a place or country for bed
Example
go to the cinema go to London / Ireland go to bed
into towards
enter a room / a building
go into the kitchen / the house go 5 steps towards the house
movement in the direction of something (but not directly to it) movement to the top of something in the sense of where from
onto from
jump onto the table a flower from the garden
Other important Prepositions
English
from of
Usage
who gave it
Example
a present from Jane a page of the book the picture of a palace a book by Mark Twain on foot, on horseback get on the bus get in the car get off the train get out of the taxi
who/what does it belong to what does it show who made it
by on
walking or riding on horseback entering a public transport vehicle entering a car / Taxi
in off out of by
leaving a public transport vehicle leaving a car / Taxi rise or fall of something
prices have risen by 10 percent by car, by bus
travelling (other than walking or horseriding) for age
at about
she learned Russian at 45 we were talking about you
for topics, meaning what about
