* * Preposition * * There is one very simple rule about prepositions. And, unlike most rules, this rule has no exceptions. Rule: A preposition is followed by a "noun". It is never followed by a verb. By "noun" we include: noun (dog, money, love) proper noun (name) (Nepal, John) pronoun (you, him, us) noun group (my first job) gerund (swimming) A preposition cannot be followed by a verb. If we want to follow a preposition by a verb, we must use the "- ing" form which is really a gerund or verb in noun form. The common run of prepositions usually establishes a space or time relationship between ideas within a phrase, clause, or sentence, and they can be divided into five groups: 1. The prepositions of place and location: in, at, and on 2. The prepositions of motion: to, toward, in, and into 3. The prepositions of movement and direction: to, onto, and into 4. The prepositions for specific points of time: on, at, in, and after 5. The prepositions for periods or extended time: since, for, by, from to, from until, before, during, within, between, and beyond. And our Sirs Solutions Face book Page Page 1 of 6
years: in 1998, in 2012 months: in January, in February * * Prepositions of time: in, on, at * * in on at parts of the day: in the morning, in the afternoon, in the evening, BUT at night seasons: in spring, in summer, in autumn, in winter days of the week: on Thursday, on Friday dates: on 28 June, on 25 October parts of a named day: on Monday morning, on Thursday evening, on Friday night the time: at 7.30, at 8 o'clock * * Prepositions of time: during, for, over, by, until * * religious festivals: at Easter, at Christmas, at Durga Puja points in time: at the beginning, at the end of the week We use during to talk about something that happens within a particular period of time, to say when something takes place. We also use during to talk about something that happens within the same time as another event. We use over or in to talk about something that has been happening continuously up until the present, or will happen continuously in the future. We use for to say how long something continues. We use by to say that something will happen or be achieved before a particular time. We use until to say that something will continue up to a particular time. We use in to express a time (in the future) from now. During my time in Nepal I visited a lot of interesting places. He came to work during the morning meeting. We've had a lot of problems over / in the last few months. We expect a rise in sales over / in the next few months. I can only come for a few minutes. I was waiting for him for two hours. It has to be finished by two o'clock. He should return by the end of March. We'll be here until July. The concert went on until eleven o'clock. I'm going on holiday in a week. ( one week from now ) I'll be back in five minutes. ( five minutes from now ) And our Sirs Solutions Face book Page Page 2 of 6
* * Prepositions Time * * on days of the week on Monday in months / seasons time of day year after a certain period of time (when?) in August / in winter in the morning in 2016 in an hour at for night for weekend a certain point of time (when?) at night at the weekend 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 last He is on holiday until Friday. by in the sense of at the latest up to a certain time I will be back by 6 o clock. By 11 o'clock, I had read five pages. And our Sirs Solutions Face book Page Page 3 of 6
* * Preposition Place (Position and Direction) * * room, building, street, town, in the kitchen, in London country in the book in book, paper etc. in the car, in a taxi car, taxi in the picture, in the world picture, world at on by, next to, beside under below over meaning next to, by an object for table for events place where you are to do something typical (watch a film, study, work) attached for a place with a river being on a surface for a certain side (left, right) for a floor in a house for public transport for television, radio left or right of somebody or something on the ground, lower than (or covered by) something else lower than something else but above ground covered by something else meaning more than getting to the other side (also across) overcoming an obstacle at the door, at the station at the table at a concert, at the party at the cinema, at school, at work the picture on the wall London lies on the Thames. on the table on the left on the first floor on the bus, on a plane on TV, on the radio Jane is standing by / next to / beside the car. the bag is under the table the fish are below the surface put a jacket over your shirt over 16 years of age walk over the bridge climb over the wall above higher than something else, but not directly over it a path above the lake And our Sirs Solutions Face book Page Page 4 of 6
across getting to the other side (also over) getting to the other side walk across the bridge swim across the lake through to something with limits on top, bottom and the sides movement to person or building movement to a place or country for bed drive through the tunnel go to the cinema go to London / Ireland 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 to it) go 5 steps towards the house onto movement to the top of something jump onto the table from in the sense of where from a flower from the garden And our Sirs Solutions Face book Page Page 5 of 6
* * Other Important Preposition * * from who gave it a present from Jane of who/what does it belong to what does it show a page of the book the picture of a palace by who made it a book by Mark Twain on walking or riding on horseback entering a public transport vehicle on foot, on horseback 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 travelling (other than walking or horse riding) prices have risen by 10 percent by car, by bus at for age she learned Russian at 45 about for topics, meaning what about we were talking about you And our Sirs Solutions Face book Page Page 6 of 6