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Prepositions Guide for ESL Learners

The document provides examples of usage of various English prepositions related to time and place. For time prepositions, it gives examples of using 'on', 'in', 'at', 'since', 'for', 'ago', 'before', 'to', 'past', 'till/until', and 'by'. For place prepositions, it discusses using 'in', 'at', 'on', 'by/next to', 'under', 'below', 'over', 'above', 'across', 'through', 'to', 'into', 'towards', 'onto', and 'from'. It also lists other important prepositions like 'from', 'of', 'by', 'on', 'in', 'off',

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Renato Cortez Pickman
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51 views4 pages

Prepositions Guide for ESL Learners

The document provides examples of usage of various English prepositions related to time and place. For time prepositions, it gives examples of using 'on', 'in', 'at', 'since', 'for', 'ago', 'before', 'to', 'past', 'till/until', and 'by'. For place prepositions, it discusses using 'in', 'at', 'on', 'by/next to', 'under', 'below', 'over', 'above', 'across', 'through', 'to', 'into', 'towards', 'onto', and 'from'. It also lists other important prepositions like 'from', 'of', 'by', 'on', 'in', 'off',

Uploaded by

Renato Cortez Pickman
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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PREPOSITIONS TIME

ENGLISH

USAGE

EXAMPLE

ON

days of the week

on Monday

IN

months / seasons

in August / in

time of day

year

after a certain period of time (when?)

winter

in the morning

in 2006

in an hour

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

AT

(6:10)
TO / TILL /

UNTIL
TILL / UNTIL

marking the beginning and end of a period of


time

to/till Friday

in the sense of how long something is going


to last

BY

in the sense of at the latest

up to a certain time

from Monday

He is on holiday
until Friday.

I will be back by
6 oclock.

By 11 o'clock, I
had read five pages.

PREPOSITIONS PLACE (POSITION AND DIRECTION)

ENGLISH
IN

AT

USAGE

EXAMPLE

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

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

at the cinema, at school, at work

typical (watch a film, study, work)


ON

BY, NEXT

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

left or right of somebody or

Jane is standing by / next to /

TO, BESIDE
UNDER

something

on the ground, lower than (or

beside the car.

the bag is under the table

covered by) something else


BELOW

lower than something else but above

the fish are below the surface

ground
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

ENGLISH
ABOVE

USAGE

EXAMPLE

higher than something else, but not

a path above the lake

directly over it
ACROSS

THROUGH

getting to the other side (also over)

walk across the bridge

getting to the other side

swim across the lake

something with limits on top, bottom

drive through the tunnel

and the sides

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

go 5 steps towards the house

TO

something (but not directly 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

ENGLIS

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

ON

walking or riding on horseback

on foot, on horseback

entering a public transport

get on the bus

vehicle
IN

entering a car / Taxi

get in the car

OFF

leaving a public transport

get off the train

vehicle
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

by car, by bus

horseriding)
AT

for age

she learned Russian at 45

ABOUT

for topics, meaning what about

we were talking about you

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