Prepositions

Prepositions

INTRODUCTION

• As the name suggests, it is formed by amalgamating two words –
“Pre” and “position” ; which means that they are a word or group of
words used before a noun or pronoun to show place, position, time or
method . Such as in, from, to, out of and on behalf of.

• Examples include:

1. The beautiful reservoir was made beautifully among the majestic hills.
2. While following the rabbit, Alice fell into a never-ending hole.



TYPES OF PREPOSITIONS

Prepositions

TIME POSITION MOVEMENT
AND

DIRECTION

PREPOSITIONS OF TIME

A number of prepositions may be used to denote time: on Monday, before
night, during the night, till tomorrow, after lunch. In most cases, it is easy to
know which preposition to use. The following prepositions, however, need extra
attention.

1) At, on, in

a) At usually denotes a definite point of time but can also be used for indefinite periods:

at 3 o’clock, at midnight
at the beginning of the class (definite point of time)
at the end of the meeting

at dawn, at night, (indefinite point of time)
at Christmas, at Diwali

b) On is used with days and dates:
on Monday, on 5th December
on the Diwali day, on Christmas eve

c) In is used with parts of the day, month, year, season:
in the morning, in the afternoon, in the evening
in summer, in winter

d) In is also used with the future tense to show the period in which an action will
happen:

in two hours, in a few minutes
in a fortnight

2. By
It denotes the latest time at which an action will be over:

The show will be over by 6 p.m. (It may be over before it is 6, but
the latest time at which it can be over is 6.)

3. From
It denotes the starting point of an action. It is almost always used with
to or till/until:

The examination will be held from 8 a.m. to 11 a.m.
He was the Chief Minister of Assam from 1984 till 1989.

Exercise - Prepositions of Time

Put in the correct preposition (choose in / on / at). If no preposition is needed put in -.
1) There was a loud noise which woke us up _____________midnight.
2) She plays tennis __________Fridays.
3) The trees here are really beautiful___________ the spring.
4) I often get sleepy____________ the afternoon.
5) I'll see you________________ Tuesday afternoon then.

Exercise - Prepositions of Time (Answers)

Put in the correct preposition (choose in / on / at). If no preposition is needed put in -.
1) There was a loud noise which woke us up ___at__________midnight.
2) She plays tennis ___on_______Fridays.
3) The trees here are really beautiful____in_______ the spring.
4) I often get sleepy_____in_______ the afternoon.
5) I'll see you________on________ Tuesday afternoon then.

PREPOSITIONS OF POSITIONS

1. At, in
a)At has the idea of an exact point; it is used with villages, small

towns. In has the idea of a larger area and is used while speaking of
bigger towns, states, countries:

at Karol Bagh, in New Delhi, at Ambala, in England

b) At conveys the idea of general neighbourhood; in conveys the idea
of something contained:

Please sit at the table when you eat.
I shall meet you at Connaught Place.

2. Between, among
Between is used with two persons or things, among is used
with more than two:
A small table was lying between the two chairs.
The hare hid among the bushes.

3. On, upon
On is used in speaking of things at rest;
upon is used with things in motions:
My bag is on the table.
The cat sprang upon the table.

4. Above, over
Both above and over mean higher than.
Sometimes we can use either of them:
The flags waved over our heads.
The flags waved above our heads.

But over can also mean covering, or vertically above:
My father put a blanket over me.
There is a bridge over the stream.

5. Below, under
Both below and under mean lower than. Sometimes we can use either of them. But under also
means vertically below. It also has the idea of contact. Eg.There was a beautiful lake below us in the
valley. She put the book under her pillow.

Exercise - Prepositions of Position

Put in the correct preposition

1) A bird flew through the sky high ___________ us.

2) I was sitting _______ two very large people on the plane, so I didn't have much space.

3) She thought her wallet was ____ her purse, but it was actually ____ her pocket.

4) My car keys were ____ the desk, but I couldn't see them because they were ____ a
magazine.

5) I was sitting ____ two very large people on the plane, so I didn't have much space.

Exercise - Prepositions of Position (Answers)

Put in the correct preposition

1) A bird flew through the sky high above us.

2) I was sitting between two very large people on the plane, so I didn't have much space.

3) She thought her wallet was in her purse, but it was actually in her pocket.

4) My car keys were on the desk, but I couldn't see them because they were under a
magazine.

5) I was sitting between two very large people on the plane, so I didn't have much space.

PREPOSITIONS OF MOVEMENT AND
DIRECTION

1.Prepositions of direction towards: to, towards, into, at, for,
against

a) To has the sense of destination, towards of direction:
We went to the school. (reached the school)
We went towards the school. (in the direction of the school)

b) Into denotes movement towards the interior of something:
The dog jumped into the pond.
She quietly walked into the room.

c) At has the idea of hitting:
She threw the stone at the dog.

d) For suggests the beginning of a movement:
The workers left for the factory.
The child leaves for the school early in the morning.

e) Against shows pressure or contact:
He threw the bag against the wall.

2.Prepositions of direction from: from, off, out of
a) From is used with the point of departure:
She has already gone from the office.

b) Off shows separation. It is used in the sense of from the
surface of, down from:

He fell off the cycle.
The ball rolled off the table.

c) Out of is the opposite of into. It means from the interior of:
The bird flew out of the cage.

3. Other prepositions showing movement are: through, over,
along, across, round, up, down.

4. We travel by car, by bus, by train, by air, by boat, by sea.
We walk on foot, we ride on horseback, we go on a

bicycle.

Exercise - Prepositions of Movement and Direction

Put in the correct preposition

1) I flew from San Francisco ____________ Zurich with Swiss International Air Lines.
2) Every morning I get ___________ my bicycle and go to school.
3) We got __________ the car and run __________ the building.
4) He escaped ________ a door in the back of the building.
5)He took the phone and threw it ____________ the water.

Exercise - Prepositions of Movement (Answers)

Put in the correct preposition

1) I flew from San Francisco ___to_________ Zurich with Swiss International Air Lines.
2) Every morning I get _____on______ my bicycle and go to school.
3) We got ____out of______ the car and run ____into______ the building.
4) He escaped _through_______ a door in the back of the building.
5)He took the phone and threw it ___into_________ the water.