SCOTTISH INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL
Prepositions
The following table contains rules for some of the most frequently used prepositions in English:
Prepositions – Time
English Usage Example
on days of the week on Monday
in months / seasons in August / in winter
time of day in the morning
year in 2006
after a certain period of time (when?) in an hour
at for night at night
for weekend at the weekend
a certain point of time (when?) at half past nine
since from a certain point of time (past till now) since 1980
for over a certain period of time (past till now) for 2 years
ago a certain time in the past 2 years ago
before earlier than a certain point of time before 2004
to telling the time ten to six (5:50)
past telling the time ten past six (6:10)
to / till / until marking the beginning and end of a period of time from Monday to/till Friday
till / until in the sense of how long something is going to He is on holiday until Friday.
last
by in the sense of at the latest I will be back by 6 o’clock.
up to a certain time By 11 o'clock, I had read five pages.
Prepositions – Place (Position and Direction)
English Usage Example
in room, building, street, town, country in the kitchen, in London
book, paper etc. in the book
car, taxi in the car, in a taxi
picture, world in the picture, in the world
at meaning next to, by an object at the door, at the station
for table at the table
for events at a concert, at the party
place where you are to do something typical (watch a at the cinema, at school, at work
film, study, work)
English Usage Example
on attached the picture on the wall
for a place with a river London lies on the Thames.
being on a surface on the table
for a certain side (left, right) on the left
for a floor in a house on the first floor
for public transport on the bus, on a plane
for television, radio on TV, on the radio
by, next to, left or right of somebody or something Jane is standing by / next to / beside
beside car.
under on the ground, lower than (or covered by) something else the bag is under the table
below lower than something else but above ground the fish are below the surface
over covered by something else put a jacket over your shirt
meaning more than over 16 years of age
getting to the other side (also across) walk over the bridge
overcoming an obstacle climb over the wall
above higher than something else, but not directly over it a path above the lake
across getting to the other side (also over) walk across the bridge
getting to the other side swim across the lake
through something with limits on top, bottom and the sides drive through the tunnel
to movement to person or building go to the cinema
movement to a place or country go to London / Ireland
for bed go to bed
into enter a room / a building go into the kitchen / the house
towards movement in the direction of something (but not directly go 5 steps towards the house
to it)
onto movement to the top of something jump onto the table
from in the sense of where from a flower from the garden
Other important Prepositions
English Usage Example
from who gave it a present from Jane
of who/what does it belong to a page of the book
what does it show the picture of a palace
by who made it a book by Mark Twain
English Usage Example
on walking or riding on horseback on foot, on horseback
entering a public transport vehicle get on the bus
in entering a car / Taxi get in the car
off leaving a public transport vehicle get off the train
out of leaving a car / Taxi get out of the taxi
by rise or fall of something prices have risen by 10 percent
travelling (other than walking or horseriding) by car, by bus
at for age she learned Russian at 45
about for topics, meaning what about we were talking about you
A) Fill in the blanks with convenient prepositions.
1. Nice _______ meet you.
2. Don’t be late _______ school.
3. Are you the new student _______ Portugal?
4. Are you a teacher _______ this school?
5. She is ______ vacation. She is ______ Italy now.
6. What is this called ______ English?
7. Look ______ the flowers.
8. Adam's birthday is ________ July.
9. Don’t run _______ the classroom.
B) Fill in the blanks
1. Compare your answers _____ your partner.
2. This key holder is very special _____ me.
3. Apple and pears are ______ the same box.
4. Write ______ me soon.
5. Have you got a piece _______ paper?
6. What’s the calculator for? It is _______ my exams.
7. I’m tall ________ black hair and brown eyes.
8. We have a house ________ a big garden.
9. I come ______ a big family.
10. Match the pictures _______ the names.
11. Is your house ______ the country?
12. Guess what I have _______ my hand?
13. I have two color pens. What ________ you?
C) Fill in the blanks
to
1. Most people agree that kindergarten contributes ---- the child's mental development.
2. Since Jennifer was a year younger than her friends, she had a hard time keeping ---- with them.
3. In most countries, children start the primary school ---- the age of six.
4. Although he studied hard, he couldn't succeed ---- getting a high score in his test.
5. There are different sets of language learning sets available ---- all age groups.
6. All candidates are looking forward ---- the announcement of our test scores.
7. Since I will be busy ---- my homework and prepare ---- the exam tomorrow, I don't think I will be able to
go out tonight.
8. The students walk five kilometers to school, so they need to get up very early ---- the morning.
9. Since our school was next to our house, I used to come home ---- lunch time.
10. I was born ---- the 23rd ---- April, so there is no school when it's my birthday.
D) Fill in the blanks with the suitable prepositions.
1. Some people are very keen ---- working in a team, but some others don't like depending on others.
on
2. I'm terribly bored of having that day- .... -day battle with my manager, so I'm planning to resign.
3. My son is mad ---- science and technology. I guess he'll become an engineer.
4. I wish I were experienced ---- the field of marketing.
5. People who are good ---- making friends usually work in the field of trade, which requires having good
communicative skills.
6. Most office workers are fond ---- having frequent coffee breaks.
7. I wish my daughter were interested ---- learning foreign languages.
8. In the competitive business world, one has to be perfect ---- communicating with customers.
9. Working at a big company will certainly enable you to have a large circle ---- friends.
10. Everyone hopes to get a job with prospects ---- promotion, but not many people manage to do so.
E) Fill in the blanks with the suitable prepositions.
1. Betty asked Barney for help, but it turned out he was even worse math than her.
2. Luckily, my husband is not very keen playing football.
3. Most men are not very fond going to wedding parties.
4. This brand of cream is better preventing wrinkles on your face.
5. Like many other children, my daughter is mad chocolate.
6. Students are sometimes taught things that they are not interested at all.
7. When Tom was a schoolboy, he was crazy cars and he kept drawing them in his drawing book.
8. Why should I be scared ghosts? They don't exist.
9. Norman was dying a cigarette but he was determined to give it up.
10. Walter is not mean; he is just very careful money.
F) Choose the appropriate prepositions on, in, at or to.
1. Jose is a brilliant student, especially English.
2. We are going a vacation next weekend.
3. Bianca is going Rome this summer for a vacation.
4. I was born a Saturday.
5. The train leaves 5 o'clock, hurry up!
6. It never snows here even winter time.
7. Shreya has been living India.
8. Blue jacket sounds good me.
9. I don't want to go out night, it is too cold.
10. The wheels the bus go round and round.
G) Complete the exercise with the correct prepositions.
1. The first McDonald’s restaurant was opened by Dick and Mac McDonald on the 15th of May 1940.
2. The best selling products at their restaurant were hamburgers.
3. So the McDonald brothers thought of a way to produce hamburgers more quickly.
4. This was introduced in 1948 and became known as the Speedee Service System.
5. The first franchised McDonald’s restaurant was opened in 1953, and today you can find McDonald’s
restaurants in more than 100 countries.
6. The meats for the burgers vary with the culture of the country.
7. Franchisees and future managers of McDonald’s restaurants are trained at Hamburger University, which is
located in Oak Brook, a suburb of Chicago.
8. McDonalds is also known for its sponsorship in various international sport events.
H) at, in or on? – Choose the correct preposition and form correct time phases.
1 October
2 10 a.m
3 winter
4 Easter Sunday
5 5th September, 1939
6 Christmas
7 Thursday
8 the weekend
9 my birthday
10 the end of the month
Check
I ) Choose the correct preposition
1We first visited China 2006.
2My birthday is the second of July.
3Let's meet five o'clock this evening.
4School starts again September.
5Where do you usually go Easter Sunday?
6There are lots of people the restaurant.
7Gorillas live the rain forests of Africa.
8Do you really want to spend the whole day the beach ?
9My aunt and uncle have decided to move New Zealand
10Do you want to go the cinema tomorrow?
J) Choose from the following prepositions at, between, below, by, in, on and complete the sentences and
questions.
a. My dad studied _____ university.
b. There is a waste bin _______ the corner of my room.
c. The Dead Sea is 430 metres _______ sea level.
d. The train stopped ______ the station.
e. Manchester is ________ London and Glasgow.
f. There was a crash ______ the traffic lights.
g. Congratulations _______ your promotion!
h. Can I pay ________ credit card?
i. Sit here ________ me and Susan.
j. Our route is ______ Manchester.
Preposition (Practice)-1
Fill in the blanks with preposition. In some questions choices are given.
Exercise: 1
1) All ----Ram were present.
2) He was born -----1935.
3) He will see me ------a week (after/for).
4) A dog jumped -----the table. (on/upon).
5) They went ----the room. (in/into).
6) Essay was written ------pencil (by/with).
7) We will go to Mumbai-----Sunday.
8) He paid the loan ------installments. (in/by).
9) Oil is Sold ----the liter.
10) ------all his weakness, I love him.
Exercise: 2
1) Distribute the money -----two brothers. (Between/among)
2) Tajmahal is made -------marbles.(of/by/with)
3) Rakesh was sitting ------me. (beside/besides).
4) I completed my course -----January.
5) He has been living in Delhi -----1998. (since/for).
6) He will join our group ----Tuesday. (Since/from).
7) Rohit was ----me in the rank.(above/over)
8) I agree ----you. (to/with).
9) Frog jumped ------the well (in/into).
10) King was blind ----his weakness.(to/of)
Exercise:3
1) We have nothing to lose -----chains.
2) He applied ----the post. (to/for).
3) Please call -----the doctor. (in/out).
4) Principal distributed the prizes ------student. (between/among).
5) We should not compare one person -----another.(to/with)
6) He agreed ----my suggestion. (to/with).
7) School will open -----Tuesday.
8) Shivaji is compared -----a lion. ( to/with)
9) It is 8o’clock ------my watch. (by/in).
10) We called -----principal in 5th period (on/in).
Preposition Exercises 1
Test your knowledge of the prepositions in / at / to / nothing - showing place and movement. Choose either in, at,
to, or nothing and click on the arrow to see you have answered correctly.
--
He lives Zielona Gora.
--
1. She went home.
--
2. Piotrek works Gorzów Wlkp.
--
3. He went his friend's house.
--
4. She arrived Manchester for the celebrations.
--
5. I'm going to stay home this weekend.
--
6. Joanna works the hospital.
--
7. Why don't we go the movies tonight?
--
8. I'm going to see Hania France this summer.
--
9. I arrived work early this morning.
--
10. She came home early.
--
11. We stayed the Mieszko Hotel.
--
12. They visited England last summer.
--
13. She's going to travel Finland this summer.
--
14. I'll be school later today.
Preposition Exercises 2
Test you knowledge of the prepositions for / while / during. Choose either for, while or during and click on the
arrow to see you have answered correctly.
--
He's been working three weeks.
--
1. I fell asleep the film.
--
2. Did you see Donata your holiday?
--
3. We talked an hour.
--
4. He watched TV I cooked.
--
5. our stay in London, we visited a lot of museums.
--
6. What did you do you were in London?
--
7. I think I need to study Polish a few months before I go there.
--
8. I came up with a great idea I was thinking about my class.
--
9. They drove through the countryside they were staying in France.
--
10. He was out of work six months before he found a new job.
--
11. I broke my finger I was playing squash.
--
12. Please, don't interrupt the teacher he is speaking.
--
13. Magda broke into tears the film.
--
14. Could you hold on a few moments?
Preposition Exercises 3
Test you knowledge of the prepositions in / at / on - showing time and date. Choose either in, at or on and click
on the arrow to see you have answered correctly.
--
Let's meet seven o'clock.
--
1. He was born July.
--
2. I went there 1998.
--
3. She'll be at work Thursday.
--
4. We met Christmas day.
--
5. They drove to Barlinek September 15th.
--
6. We arrived in this country September.
--
7. I love to go shopping Christmas time.
--
8. We get up early the morning.
--
9. Do you dream night?
--
10. What do you like doing weekends?
--
11. He's working on his homework the moment.
--
12. I lived in Holland the 1990s.
--
13. I'll see you a few weeks.
--
14. We like going to the cinema Fridays.
Preposition Exercises 4
___________
1 - She wasn't short, she wasn't tall; she was average height.
___________
2 - What are you going to buy Hania her birthday?
____________
3 - The police are looking a tall, black man who was seen standing outside the bank just
before the robbery took place.
____________
4 - The teacher asked the class to do the exercise the bottom of page 12.
_____________
5 - As a child I was always ashamed my parents because they were uneducated.
_____________
6 - I was always very good Geography when I was at school.
___________
7 - My uncle specializes in .
____________
8 - We arrived Gorzów at 3.30 in the morning.
__________
9 - I didn't see you the party on Saturday.
____________
10 - There was a lot of coughing the performance of Moniusko's 'Fairy Tale' symphony.
______________
11 - He saw her as the most attractive woman the world.
___________
12 - Simon is completely useless sports.
