Prepositions

Prepositions for Time, Place, and Introducing Objects

One point in time

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.

Extended time: 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 talk about the point itself: in, (There is a wasp in the room)

To express something contained: inside, (Put the present inside the box)

To talk about the surface: on, (I left your keys on the table)

To talk about a general vicinity, at. (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.

To introduce objects of verbs:

At: glance, laugh, look, rejoice, smile, stare

·         She glanced at her reflection.
(Exception with mirror: She glanced in the mirror.)

·         You didn't laugh at his joke.

·         I'm looking at the computer monitor.

·         We rejoiced at his safe rescue.

·         That pretty girl smiled at you.

·         Stop staring at me.

Of: approve, consist, smell

·         I don't approve of his speech.

·         My contribution to the article consists of many pages.

·         He came home smelling of alcohol.

Of (or about): dream, think

·         I dream of finishing college in four years.

·         Can you think of a number between one and ten?

·         I am thinking about this problem.

For: call, hope, look, wait, watch, wish

·         Did someone call for a taxi?

·         He hopes for a raise in salary next year.

·         I'm looking for my keys.

·         We'll wait for her here.

·         You go buy the tickets and I'll watch for the train.

Reference: YouTube