Prepositions! How to use a prepositions? 1. The prepositions usually comes before the noun. 2.

Prepositions can be used with all forms of nouns (e.g. collective nouns, pronouns etc). 3. Prepositions can't come after a verb, but can be used before a gerund or verb in noun form. 4. The rules above do not change and there are no exceptions to the rules. Prepositions of PLACE Prepositions of place are used to clarify a specific place. Place prepositions are used with all nouns. The preposition usually comes before the noun or the pronoun. The preposition never comes before a verb. Common Place Prepositions: aboard - She is aboard the boat. above - The picture is above the sofa. across - My house is across the street. against - The desk is against the wall. around - My house is around the block. at - Is your house at the end of the street. at the back of - We are going to sit at the back of the theater. at the bottom of - The coins are at the bottom of the lake. at the top of - The books are at the top of the shelves. between - We sit between the two boys. behind - The girls sit behind the two boys. below - The desk is below the window by - The books are by the door. in - I live in the big green and white house. inside - I live inside the big green house. on the corner of - We live on the corner of 3rd avenue in the middle of - We live in the middle of the street. near - I don't live near the supermarket. next to - I live next to my best friend. to the left of - The blue box is to the left of the green box. to the right of - The orange box is to the right of the yellow box. on - The sun heater is on the top of the building. on the side of - There is a big sign on the side of the house. on top of - There is a man on the top of the roof. on the other side of - Do you see what is going on over there on the other side of the roof? opposite - The post office is on the opposite side of the street. outside - The car is outside the garage. under - The blanket is under the bed in a box.. underneath - The pen is underneath the box. When we refer to Place prepositions we usually refer to "in", "at" and "on". In - Is usually used to state that someone or something is in a (the boundaries can be physical or virtual place. On - Is usually used to state someone or something is on top of a surface. At - Is usually used to state something or someone is at a specific place.

At a specific place at the mall at the table at work

On a place that is physically on top of a place on the table on the floor on the wall

In a place that is enclosed or within boundaries in the city in the box in the park

IMPORTANT: In English we say: o on the island o in the city/country side o in the mountains - except when you mean that something or someone is physically on the mountain. o at the office Place Prepositions Quiz 1. I am _______________ work. 2. We are sitting _______________ the park. It is a nice day. 3. My car is parked _______________ the parking lot. 4. Our house is _______________ the end of the street. 5. My sister lives _______________ the 6th floor. 6. The books are _______________ the bag. 7. The books are _______________ the table. 8. There are a lot of books _______________ the library. 9. I called their house, but nobody is _______________ home. 10. There is a beautiful picture _______________ the wall. 11. The clock fell _______________ floor. I have to pick it up. 12. Come sit _______________ the table. It is time to eat. 13. There is a lot of food _______________ the refrigerator

14. The cookies are _______________ the top shelf. 15. The computer is _______________ the table. 16. The horse is _______________ the stables. 17. Is your name _______________ the mailbox? 18. Are your children _______________ the 2nd grade? 19. Are your children _______________ t heir grandmother's house. 20 Is someone going to wait for me _______________ the door?

Prepositions of TIME Time prepositions are used to define time. Prepositions usually come before a noun or pronoun. Prepositions never come after a verb. after - I will be there after work. around - We will be there around 3 PM before - I will be there before I go to school. between - I will be there by - I will be there by the time that you leave for work. during - I will be there during your class. for - I will be there for your birthday. past - I wasn't there for the past 2 months. since - I didn't see her since I was 10 years old. until - I will not be home until 7:00 PM. within - I will be there within 2 hours. At a specific time at 2:00 at lunchtime at 4:00 AM On days and dates on my birthday on the first day of the school year on 11/10/90 In period of time - years, months, seasons in a few days in a couple of months in the summer

IMPORTANT: In English we say: o in the morning -because it is considered a period of time o in the afternoon o in the evening o at night -

Note: We say in the morning, in the afternoon, or in the evening BUT we say 'at night' Time Prepositions Quiz 1. _______________ Monday I have to go to the doctor . 2. _______________ 3:00 PM we are going home. 3. My birthday is _______________ Tuesday. 4. _______________ an hour my sister is coming home. 5. Dinner will be ready _______________ 2 hours. 6. The train will be here _______________ a few mintues. 7. Please come _______________ the morning. 8. Nobody is home _______________ the weekend. 9. There is a party _______________ the 4 of July. 0. We have a test _______________ 3 days.

How are prepositions - for - while - during used? The 3 most common English prepositions that are used to represent time are: for - while - during. For - The preposition "for" is used to express how long something or someone is doing something. "For" is used to state a period of time and is usually used with a noun/pronoun (or any other form of nouns) . o I have been riding my bicycle for 2 hours. o The dog has been barking for a long time. o The traffic has been bad for the last three days. While - The preposition "while" is used to represent the length of time an action has been happening. "While" is used when speaking about 2 actions that are happing at the same time. The length of the action is not important. "While" is used with a subject and a verb. o While I was playing with my dog, my sister was doing her homework. o While we are playing cards, the radio was playing. o My mother doesn't like the T. V. on while we are eating dinner. During -The preposition "during" is used to represent the length of time of an action that is while the action is happening. "During" is used with a noun/pronoun (or any other form of nouns). o I will be really busy during the week. o The kids were sleeping during the party. o The lights went out during the storm.

Usage: By, until, till: These prepositions describe a time limit for commencement/completion of an activity. e.g. by Sunday until April 1995 till next week By means not later than and can be used with all verb tenses. by + noun describing time/date: examples: this afternoon, tomorrow, Thursday. e.g. Please pay me by Friday morning. Will you finish your work by four o'clock? By the end of the year, Donata spoke English very well. Until/till explains how long an activity continues, will continue or has continued and can be used with all verb tenses. until/till + noun describing time/date: examples: next week, this evening, tomorrow. e.g. Tom's wife will stay here until/till the end of next week. Until/till the end of the month, you can use my computer. The Williams Family lived in Germany until/till 1991. N.B. Until/till have the same meaning: till is a short form of until. Usage: From - - - - to/until: From . . . . . to/until defines the beginning and end of a period of time, present, past or future: e.g. from April 1989 to July from November until March

Prepositions:

Exceptions:

A: In English, certain expressions are different, so must be learnt! at at at at at at the moment on holiday in a loud/angry/quiet/low voice this/that moment on the radio in a good/bad mood the same time on television in a bad temper no time on the menu in a suit present on the agenda in a new dress the end/beginning in clean/dirty/new shoes

B: Some expressions are used without a/the, here are some common examples: at at at at at at at school in bed home in business school in hospital school in prison work university 37 k.p.h.

C: Both on and in can be used for types of transport and parts of the body: On is used when the part of the body/type of transport is the most important detail. In is used when position is the most important piece of information. e.g. Peter travelled to London on the train. - type John sat in the last carriage of the London train. - position Joanna has a cut on her left arm. - part of the body Ania has broken a bone in her wrist. - position in the body D: At and in can be used with places which can contain large numbers of people: cinema, theatre, church, stadium etc.. At is used when the activity is the most important piece of information. In is used when the place/position is the most important detail. e.g. I will meet you for a meal at the usual restaurant. Richard and Magda met in the foyer of the Royal Theatre. E: Both at and to can be used with places: At is used when there is no active movement in the phrase/sentence. To is used when there is movement in the phrase/sentence e.g. At school, there are forty teachers and four hundred pupils. - no movement Marcin is cycling to London to visit his friends. - movement F: Both at and to can follow certain verbs: the meaning of the verb is different in each case: to throw, run, shout. e.g. Bill threw a stone to me. ( a friendly action ) Bill threw a stone at me. ( a hostile action: intending to hurt someone ) Maria ran to me. ( a friendly action ) Maria ran at me ( a hostile action: intending to attack ) Eric shouted to me. ( a friendly action ) Eric shouted at me ( a hostile action: intending to express anger ) G: The preposition by is often used with transport when the type of transport is very important: the common examples are: by aeroplane, bicycle, horse, car, ferry, horse, lorry, ship, train e.g. The businessmen travelled to Africa by aeroplane and in Africa, they travelled by car. N.B. Walking is travel on foot ( not by foot )