Point 1: IN

A. Time
-

In + year/century/era: in 2006, in the 19th century, in the 1970s

In + month/season: in January, in the summer (on January 15th)
In + part of a day: in the morning/afternoon/evening (at dawn, at noon, at night)

B. Place
-

In
In
In
In

+ place (usu. Big): in the world, in the universe

+ names of oceans, continents: in the Pacific, in Asia
+ names of countries, states, cities: in Korea, in California, in Seoul
+ neighborhood/suburb: in the neighborhood (of), in the suburbs (of)

C. Other uses
-

In + language: in English, in Spanish, in Korea

In + newspaper, magazine: in the newspaper (on TV, on the radio)
In + academic subject, field of expertise, industry: in science, in chemical
engineering
In + department/division (of a company):
In the accounting department
In the public relations department
In + means of transport: in (on) a taxi (by taxi)

D.Some idiomatic expressions with in

In
of
In
In
In

my opinion

in front of

in the future

in the middle

the rear of
in the meantime
in danger of
in the end
general
in detail
in particular
in line
person
in part
in a row
in time
in the past
In season
out of season
In session
out of session
In stock
out of stock
In print
out of print
The next performance appraisal will be conducted in June of 2007.
Many employees take their vacation leave in summer to take advantage of the fine
weather.
It will be the first time in fifteen years if our basketball team qualifies for the semifinal.

A. Time

Point 2: ON

On + date, specific period of time: on October 8, on the morning of October 8,

on that day
On + day: on Friday, on Saturday

On + street: on Wall Street

On + space/surface: on the wall, on the floor, on the ceiling, on the cover

B. Place, space

C. Some idiomatic expressions with on

On foot
on vacation
on the market
On time
on duty
on a map
On the other hand on strike
on the wane
On a business trip
on sale
on schedule
On a diet
on leave
on air
On purpose
on top of
The land on which a local company wanted to construct their manufacturing facilities
was sold to a competitor at a lower price.
Ms. Simpson will consummate her love with Mr. Smith on May 29, so, please come and
congratulate them on their marriage.
John is trying to sell his apartment, and it has been on the market since January last
year.

A. Time and place

At
At
At
At

Point 3: AT

At + an exact or a particular time

7:30
at dawn
at noon
at midnight
night
at the beginning/end of this month
at the end of this year
At + address: at 124 Wilson Street
At + an exact position or particular place
the station at the airport
at the door
work
at the meeting

B. Some idiomatic expressions with at

At best
at last
at most
at risk
At present
at times
at a low price
at work
At first
at least
at the moment at table
At random
at the same time
at rest
at all times
Mr. Smiths presentation is scheduled to begin at three oclock this afternoon in the
conference room.
The countrys currency depreciated at a surprisingly fast pace after the import
liberalization.
The board members are planning to hold an employee appreciation banquet at the
Mirage Hotel in Las Vegas at the end of the year.

Point 4 FOR

For + noun (phrase) purpose

For free
for food
for rent
Membership is open to all for free.

for sale

Point 5: BY

No article is used with by when it refers to means of transport.

A. By + means of transportation, payment

By taxi
by car
Note: in a taxi/car/bus

by plane
in my car

by check
in a plane

by credit card

B. By + gerund

Higher interest rates will decrease profits by raising borrowing costs.

C. By chance

I met him by chance while walking on the street.

D.By far is used to emphasize a comparative or superlative

She is by far the best female executive in the company.

A. By = no later than

Point 6 UNTIL vs. BY

They work must be done by (=no later than) the end of the week.
This June, we will start with the Gibraltar factory expansion project, so we should have
the construction schedule finalized by the last week of May.
By 6 a.m. things had cleared up enough for the team to survey the damage caused
by the sudden thunderstorm.

B. Until

The corner store is open until midnight.

Business analysts expect that the economic recovery and the upward trend in
spending are likely to continue until next year.

Part 7 DESPITE & IN SPITE OF

Despite/in spite of + noun (phrase)

Despite campaigns about the dangers of excessive drinking, most countries still see
a steady increase in the number of alcoholics.

Part 8 BECAUSE OF/DUE TO/ THANKS TO/OWING TO

Because of/due to/thanks to/owing to + noun (noun)

Northwest Airlines offered to compensate passengers who missed flight 777 because
of over-looking problems.
Due to the heavy traffic along the main road, the workshop administrator was more
than thirty minutes late.
Thanks to a strong economic recovery this year, a lot of companies were able to
avoid filing for bankruptcy.

Point 9 EXCEPT

Except (for) + noun (phrase)

Except that + clause (subject + verb)
Aside from

Barring + noun (phrase)

Without + noun (phrase)
But for + noun (phrase)
Delivery is free for all dishes on the menu except for the items noted below.
All assembly-line workers except the night-shift staff should report to the conference
room immediately for equipment training.
Barring an extreme fluctuation in the exchange rate, the current foreign car prices
will remain in effect until the end of the year.

Point 10 BETWEEN vs. AMONG

A. Between: between + A and B, between two + plural nouns

Although good health depends on a number of factors, in general, there is a close
correlation between the wealth of a country and the health status of its people.

B. Among: among + plural nouns

The teacher is among students because he has a sense of humor.

Point 15 Prepositions of reference

Concerning
Regarding
With regard to
+ noun (phrase)
With respect to
With reference to
Im writing to thank you for giving your time to talk to me yesterday regarding the
issue between Page Bookstore and Justin Corporation.
Eric has written an insightful memo concerning the third quarter report.

Point 11 Prepositions of duration

A. For + specific period of time

For five years
for two hours
Dr. Allison has trained all the nurses at the Detroit Medical Hospital for the past two
years.
B. During + the + noun of particular time
During the day
during the vacations
It is necessary for company executive members to attend many meetings and
conferences during the workday.
C. Over: over the last few years
D. Throughout:
The Health Board announced its intention of performing at least 50 surprise
inspections of juice bars throughout the year.
E. Within + duration and place: within ten days

A. TO
Go to + place

Point 12: Prepositions of directions

return + object to + place

Send + object + to + place report + object + to + person/organization

Please report the survey results directly to the personnel department by next Tuesday.

B. FOR + destination

Leave for + place

start for + place
depart for + place
for + place
He left for London last night.
This train is bound for New York.
C. TOWARDS: Lets go towards the coast
D. FROM A TO B: I walk from the station to the library every day.

be bound

Point 13 UNDER
A. In a lower position or place than; subject to the authority, rule, or control
of
Under the new management, Yorkshire Garments will establish facilities in Asia
and the Pacific.
B. In the process of
Under construction
under discussion

Point 14 OF
Of is used to create a link between two nouns
The construction of the business center will be delayed because of financial problems.
Despite the lack of advice available on these products, there has been an incredible
growth in sales over the past five years.