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EnglishPrepositions

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Prepositions

Prepositions

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Prepositionsareshortwords(on,in,to)thatusually
standinfrontofnouns(sometimesalsoinfrontof
gerundverbs).
EvenadvancedlearnersofEnglishfindprepositions
difficult,asa1:1translationisusuallynotpossible.
Oneprepositioninyournativelanguagemighthave
severaltranslationsdependingonthesituation.
Therearehardlyanyrulesastowhentousewhich
preposition.Theonlywaytolearnprepositionsis
lookingthemupinadictionary(/en/lingopad),
readingalotinEnglish(literature(/en/readon/literature))andlearningusefulphrasesoffbyheart
(studytips(/en/cram-up/learning/gap-filling)).
Thefollowingtablecontainsrulesforsomeofthe
mostfrequentlyusedprepositionsinEnglish:

PrepositionsTime

Literature
(/en/readon/literature)

English

Usage

Example

on

daysoftheweek

onMonday

in

months/seasons

Business

timeofday

inAugust/in
winter
inthemorning

Communication

year
afteracertain
periodoftime
(when?)

in2006

fornight

atnight

forweekend

attheweekend

acertainpointof
time(when?)

athalfpastnine

since

fromacertainpoint
oftime(pasttill
now)

since1980

for

overacertain
periodoftime(past
tillnow)

for2years

ago

acertaintimeinthe
past

2yearsago

(/en/businessenglish/communication)
Grammar

at

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Business-Info
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https://www.ego4u.com/en/cramup/grammar/prepositions

inanhour

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E-Cards(/en/chillout/ecards)

EnglishPrepositions
before

earlierthana
certainpointof
time

before2004

to

tellingthetime

tentosix(5:50)

past

tellingthetime

tenpastsix(6:10)

to/
till/
until

markingthe
beginningandend
ofaperiodoftime

fromMondayto/till
Friday

till/
until

inthesenseofhow
long something is
going to last

Heisonholiday
untilFriday.

inthesenseofat
the latest

Iwillbebackby6
oclock.

uptoacertaintime

By11o'clock,Ihad
readfivepages.

ChatwithEgon
(/en/chillout/chat/egon-bot)

TakeOn
Newsletter
(/en/newsletter)
Calendar2016
(/en/takeon/calendar?2016)

by

TeachIn
CulturalStudies
(/en/teachin/cultural-studies)
Lessons(/en/teachin/lessons)

PrepositionsPlace(PositionandDirection)
English
in

at

Usage
room,building,
street,town,
country

inthekitchen,in
London

book,paperetc.

inthecar,inataxi

car,taxi
picture,world

inthepicture,in
theworld

meaningnext to, by
an object

atthedoor,atthe
station

fortable

atthetable

forevents

ataconcert,atthe
party

placewhereyou
aretodo
somethingtypical
(watchafilm,
study,work)
on

Example

attached
foraplacewitha
river
beingonasurface

inthebook

atthecinema,at
school,atwork

thepictureonthe
wall
Londonliesonthe
Thames.

foracertainside
(left,right)

onthetable

forafloorina
house

onthefirstfloor

ontheleft

forpublictransport

onthebus,ona
plane

fortelevision, radio

onTV,ontheradio

leftorrightof
somebodyor
something

Janeisstanding
by/nextto/
besidethecar.

under

ontheground,
lowerthan(or
coveredby)
somethingelse

thebagisunder
thetable

below

lowerthan
somethingelsebut
aboveground

thefisharebelow
thesurface

by,next
to,
beside

https://www.ego4u.com/en/cramup/grammar/prepositions

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EnglishPrepositions
over

coveredby
somethingelse

putajacketover
yourshirt

meaningmore than

over16yearsof
age

gettingtothe
otherside(also
across)

walkoverthe
bridge

overcomingan
obstacle

climboverthewall

above

higherthan
somethingelse,
butnotdirectly
overit

apathabovethe
lake

across

gettingtothe
otherside(also
over)

walkacrossthe
bridge

gettingtothe
otherside
through

to

swimacrossthe
lake

somethingwith
limitsontop,
bottomandthe
sides

drivethroughthe
tunnel

movementto
personorbuilding

gotothecinema

movementtoa
placeorcountry

gotoLondon/
Ireland
gotobed

forbed
into

enteraroom/a
building

gointothe
kitchen/the
house

movementinthe
directionof
something(butnot
directlytoit)

go5stepstowards
thehouse

onto

movementtothe
topofsomething

jumpontothe
table

from

inthesenseof
where from

aflowerfromthe
garden

towards

OtherimportantPrepositions
English
from
of

Usage

Example

whogaveit

apresentfromJane

who/whatdoesit
belongto

apageofthebook

whatdoesitshow

thepictureofa
palace

by

whomadeit

abookbyMark
Twain

on

walkingorridingon
horseback

onfoot,on
horseback

enteringapublic
transportvehicle

getonthebus

in

enteringacar/Taxi

getinthecar

off

leavingapublic
transportvehicle

getoffthetrain

leavingacar/Taxi

getoutofthetaxi

riseorfallof
something

priceshaverisenby
10percent

outof
by

https://www.ego4u.com/en/cramup/grammar/prepositions

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EnglishPrepositions

at

about

travelling(other
thanwalkingor
horseriding)

bycar,bybus

forage

shelearnedRussian
at45

fortopics,meaning
what about

weweretalking
aboutyou

ExercisesonPrepositions
ExerciseonPrepositionsPlace1(/en/cramup/grammar/prepositions/exercises?07)
ExerciseonPrepositionsPlace2(/en/cramup/grammar/prepositions/exercises?08)
ExerciseonPrepositionsPlace3(/en/cramup/grammar/prepositions/exercises?09)
ExerciseonPrepositionsPlace4(/en/cramup/grammar/prepositions/exercises?10)
ExerciseonPrepositionsPlace5(/en/cramup/grammar/prepositions/exercises)
ExerciseonPrepositionsTime1(/en/cramup/grammar/prepositions/exercises?02)
ExerciseonPrepositionsTime2(/en/cramup/grammar/prepositions/exercises?18)
ExerciseonPrepositionssinceandfor(/en/cramup/vocabulary/since-for)
Seealso:Date(/en/cram-up/vocabulary/date)and
Time(/en/cram-up/vocabulary/time)
ExerciseonPrepositionsBuses(/en/cramup/grammar/prepositions/exercises?11)
ExerciseonPrepositionsApicture(/en/cramup/grammar/prepositions/exercises?12)
ExerciseonPrepositionsAphotograph(/en/cramup/grammar/prepositions/exercises?13)
ExerciseonPrepositionsTheWampanoag
(/en/cram-up/grammar/prepositions/exercises?06)
ExerciseonPrepositionsGeorgeWashington
(/en/cram-up/grammar/prepositions/exercises?14)
ExerciseonPrepositionsHenryFord(/en/cramup/grammar/prepositions/exercises?15)
ExerciseonPrepositionsMcDonalds(/en/cramup/grammar/prepositions/exercises?16)
ExerciseonPrepositionsUluru(/en/cramup/grammar/prepositions/exercises?17)

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