01 October 2008: Written by Jeanne

What is a Preposition?
A preposition links nouns, pronouns and phrases to other words in a sentence. The word or phrase that the preposition introduces is called the object of the preposition.
A preposition usually indicates the temporal, spatial or logical relationship of its object to the rest of the sentence as in the following examples:

The book is on the table.
The book is beneath the table.
The book is leaning against the table.
The book is beside the table.
She held the book over the table.                                             
She read the book during class.

On is used with days:

• I will see you on Monday.
• The week begins on Sunday.

At is used with noon, night, midnight, and with the time of day:

• My plane leaves at noon.
• The movie starts at 6 p.m.

In is used with other parts of the day, with months, with years, with seasons:

• He likes to read in the afternoon.
• The days are long in August.
• The book was published in 1999.
• The flowers will bloom in spring.

To express extended time, English uses the following prepositions: since, for, by, from—to, from-until, during,(with)in

• She has been gone since yesterday. (She left yesterday and has not returned.)
• I’m going to Paris for two weeks. (I will spend two weeks there.)
• The movie showed from August to October. (Beginning in August and ending in October.)
• The decorations were up from spring until fall. (Beginning in spring and ending in fall.)
• I watch TV during the evening. (For some period of time in the evening.)
• We must finish the project within a year. (No longer than a year.)

Place

To express notions of place, English uses the following prepositions: to talk about the point itself: in, to express something contained: inside, to talk about the surface: on, to talk about a general vicinity, at.

• There is a wasp in the room.
• Put the present inside the box.
• I left your keys on the table.
• She was waiting at the corner.

Higher than a point

To express notions of an object being higher than a point, English uses the following prepositions: over, above.

• He threw the ball over the roof.
• Hang that picture above the couch.

Lower than a point

To express notions of an object being lower than a point, English uses the following prepositions: under, underneath, beneath, below.

• The rabbit burrowed under the ground.
• The child hid underneath the blanket.
• We relaxed in the shade beneath the branches.
• The valley is below sea-level.

Close to a point

To express notions of an object being close to a point, English uses the following prepositions: near, by, next to, between, among, opposite.

• She lives near the school.
• There is an ice cream shop by the store.
• An oak tree grows next to my house
• The house is between Elm Street and Maple Street.
• I found my pen lying among the books.
• The bathroom is opposite that room.

Prepositions of Place

Exercise #1
Directions: Fill the blanks with at, in, on or to.
1. I drive _______ my office every morning.
2. I arrive _______ 8 a.m.
3. She arrived _______ Los Angeles at 9:30 p.m.
4. Jeff likes to stay _______ bed all morning.
5. Jane is a doctor. She works _______ the hospital.
6. Max had an operation. He’s still _______ the hospital.
7. The glass of milk is _______ the table.
8. The children are playing _______ the beach.
9. I can’t talk to you now. I’m _______ work.
10. The students go _______ school by bus.
11. I eat lunch _______ home every day.
12. Did you take your homework _______ school?
13. I have to be _______ work by 8 a.m.
14. I have to go _______ the airport to pick up my brother.
15. Her daughter is away _______ college.
16. The milk is _______ the refrigerator to keep it cold.
17. The kids are swimming _______ the pool.
18. Oh no! I left my wallet _______ the taxi!
19. Did you go _______ the shop, yet?
20. He parked his car _______ the parking lot.

Answers:
1. to
2. at
3. in
4. in
5. in
6. in
7. on
8. on
9. at
10. to
11. at
12. to
13. at
14. to
15. at
16. in
17. in
18. in
19. to
20. in