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Prepositions are short words (on, in, to) that usually stand in front of nouns (sometimes also in front

of gerund verbs). Even advanced learners of English find prepositions difficult, as a 1:1 translation is usually not possible. One preposition in your native language might have several translations depending on the situation. There are hardly any rules as to when to use which preposition. The only way to learn prepositions is looking them up in a dictionary reading a lot in English and learning useful phrases off by heart. The following table contains rules for some of the most frequently used prepositions in English: Prepositions Time English

Usage days of the week months / seasons time of day year after a certain period of time (when?) for night for weekend a certain point of time (when?) from a certain point of time (past till now) over a certain period of time (past till now) a certain time in the past

Example on Monday in in in in August / in winter the morning 2006 an hour

on in

at

at night 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) from Monday to/till

since

for ago

befor earlier than a certain e point of time

to past to /

telling the time telling the time marking the

English till / until

Usage beginning and end of a period of time Friday

Example

till / until by

in the sense of how He is on holiday until long something is going to Friday. last in the sense of at the latest up to a certain time I will be back by 6 oclock. By 11 o'clock, I had read five pages.

Prepositions Place (Position and Direction) English

Usage room, building, street, town, country book, paper etc. car, taxi picture, world in London in in in world

Example the kitchen, in the book the car, in a taxi the picture, in the

in

at

meaning next to, by at the door, at the an object station for table at the table for events at a concert, at the party place where you are to do something typical at the cinema, at (watch a film, study, school, at work work) attached for a place with a river being on a surface for a certain side (left, right) for a floor in a house for public transport for television, radio the picture on the wall London lies on the Thames. on the table on the left on the first floor on the bus, on a plane on TV, on the radio

on

English

Usage left or right of somebody or something on the ground, lower than (or covered by) something else

Example Jane is standing by / next to / beside the car. the bag is under the table

by, next to, beside under

below

lower than the fish are below something else but above the surface ground covered by put a jacket over something else your shirt meaning more than over 16 years of age getting to the other walk over the bridge side (also across) climb over the wall overcoming an obstacle higher than something else, but not directly over it a path above the lake

over

above

across

getting to the other walk across the side (also over) bridge getting to the other swim across the side lake

throug something with drive through the h limits on top, bottom and tunnel the sides

to

movement to person or building movement to a place or country for bed enter a room / a building

go to the cinema go to London / Ireland go to bed go into the kitchen / the house go 5 steps towards the house

into

towar movement in the ds direction of something (but not directly to it)

English

Usage movement to the top of something in the sense of where from

Example jump onto the table a flower from the garden

onto from

Other important Prepositions English from

Usage who gave it who/what does it belong to what does it show who made it walking or riding on horseback entering a public transport vehicle entering a car / Taxi leaving a public transport vehicle leaving a car / Taxi

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

of

by on

in off out of by

rise or fall of prices have risen by something 10 percent travelling (other than by car, by bus walking or horseriding) for age at 45 she learned Russian we were talking about you

at

abou for topics, meaning t what about

Exercise on Prepositions Time


Fill in the correct prepositions. 1. Peter is playing tennis Sunday. 2. My brother's birthday is .. the 5th of November. 3. My birthday is May. 4. We are going to see my parents .. the weekend. 5. . 1666, a great fire broke out in London. 6. I don't like walking alone in the streets night. 7. What are you doing .. the afternoon? 8. My friend has been living in Canada two years. 9. I have been waiting for you seven o'clock. 10. I will have finished this essay . Friday. 11. What are you doing the weekend? 12. I don't know yet. Maybe I'll go to the cinema Saturday. 13. That's interesting. I haven't been to the cinema so many years. 14. We could go there together the afternoon. 15. That would be great. But I would prefer to go there ..the evening. I am visiting my grandma ..Saturday. 16. That's okay. The film starts eight o'clock. 17. I can pick you up. half .. seven. How long does the film last? 18. It lasts two hours and forty-five minutes. 19. . eight . a quarter .eleven. That's right. 20. But I must hurry home .the film. I have to be home. eleven o'clock.

Exercise on Prepositions Place

Complete the exercise according to the picture.


1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. the picture, I can see a woman. The woman is sitting .. a table. She is sitting .. a chair. There is another chair .. the woman. Her feet are .. the table The woman is holding a cup . her hands. . the table are a laptop, a paper, a calculator, an appointment calendar, two pens and a muffin. 8. The woman is looking her laptop. 9. The woman's bag is .. the table. Complete the exercise according to the picture.

1.. the picture, there are four people. 2. A couple is sitting the table. 3. They are sitting .. chairs. 4. The drinks are the table. 5. One woman is standing . the table. 6.. . her is a man who is barbecuing.

Fill in the gaps with the correct prepositions. MISCELLANEOUS 1. We live London. 2. Would you like to go.. the cinema tonight? 3. No, thanks. I was. the cinema yesterday. 4. We are going .. holiday next week. 5. There is a bridge the river. 6. The flight from Leipzig to London was Frankfurt. 7. my wall, there are many picture postcards. 8. Who is the person this picture? 9. Come .. the sitting room, we want to watch TV. 10. Munich lies 530 meters sea level. 11. I got these photos ..my friend Jane. 12. These photos were taken her boyfriend, who is a hobby photographer. 13. .. these pictures you can see a giraffe. 14. So, these are pictures a giraffe. 15. Look .. these pictures. Aren't they wonderful? Complete the exercise with the correct prepositions. GEORGE WASHINGTON 1.George Washington was born .. Virginia . 1732. the American Revolutionary War ( 1775 and 1783) he was the Commander-in-Chief the American forces. Washington played an important role .the founding .. the United States. He became the first President . the United States. He was President . 1789 .. 1797. George Washington died the age .. 67, .the 14th December 1799. The capital the United States and one federal state are named George Washington. Complete the exercise with the correct prepositions. MCDONALDS The first McDonalds restaurant was opened . Dick and Mac McDonald on the 15th .. May 1940. The best selling products their restaurant were hamburgers. So the McDonald brothers thought.. a way to produce hamburgers more quickly. This was introduced . 1948 and became known .. the Speedee

Service System. The first franchised McDonalds restaurant was opened .1953, and today you can find McDonalds restaurants .more than 100 countries. The meats . the burgers vary . the culture .the country. Franchisees and future managers . McDonalds restaurants are trained .. Hamburger University, which is located .Oak Brook, a suburb Chicago. McDonalds is also known .. its sponsorship.. various international sport events.

Complete the exercise with the correct prepositions. BUSES If you want to go . bus, you have to go . the bus stop. You look the time table. Then you wait .. your bus. When the bus arrives, you get .. the bus. You buy a ticket .the driver or show your ticket the driver. When you arrive your destination, you get ..the bus. Sometimes you even have to change buses ..another bus stop. Fill the gaps with the correct prepositions. THE WAMPANOAG The Wampanoag are the native American tribe that helped the Pilgrims the Mayflower to survive their first year ..the New World. The tribe was divided smaller groups, and each group was ruled a chief. The Wampanoag lived villages the southeastern coast . North America. Their name means people of the east. One member .. the Wampanoag, Squanto, knew English because several years before he had been kidnapped and taken Europe. Squanto was the first to meet the Pilgrims and he welcomed them .. English. The Wampanoag shared their knowledge hunting and fishing the European settlers and showed them how to grow corn and beans. autumn, the harvest was so good that the settlers invited the Wampanoag a great feast that is now remembered as the first Thanksgiving. A treaty .the Wampanoag and the settlers secured peace. about 40 years, but then the settlers claimed

more and more land and treated the Wampanoag .. disrespect. This finally led . war the English and the Wampanoag (1675-1676) .which the Wampanoag were defeated. The Wampanoag left their lands and moved the islands Nantucket and Martha's Vineyard. Today there are only about 2,000 Wampanoag people living.. the United States.

SINCE AND FOR: Decide whether to use since or for.

- since - if the starting point is given (two o'clock, last Friday, 1998) - for - if the period of time is given (twenty minutes, two days, one year) 1. 2. 3. I have been waiting . 4 o'clock. Sue has only been waiting 20 minutes. Tim and Tina have been learning English . six years. 4. Fred and Frida have been learning French .. 1998. 5. Joe and Josephine have been going out together ..Valentine's Day. 6. I haven't been on holiday last July. 7. Mary has been saving her money . many years. 8. I haven't eaten anything .breakfast. 9. You have been watching TV . hours. 10. We have been living here 2 months.

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