Prepositions

WHAT IS A PREPOSITION?

PREPOSITIONS present the relationship between objects, people, places and things by expressing where something is, when something happens, and how something moves.

It is found before a noun or pronoun and connects this object to the rest of the sentence, similar to a bridge.

To better understand it, please view the image below:

According to this image, we are able to understand the relationship between the box and circle, where the box is placed above, beside, or below the circle.

💡 Knowing how to use prepositions will help you express your ideas clearly, whether on your essay, as you give directions, or even in your simple conversations.

The following are the types of prepositions and how to use them:

Prepositions of Time

Answers the question “When?”

🧠 Keep in mind:

At → used to indicate a point in time
On → Used to indicate a specific day
In → Used for longer periods of time

Preposition Triangle

The "preposition triangle" is a visual method for learning the correct usage of the prepositions at, on, and in for both time and place.

For time, the triangle shows that 'at' is for specific times (e.g., at 7:00), 'on' is for days and dates (e.g., on Monday, on March 30th), and 'in' is for longer periods like months, years, and seasons (e.g., in July, in 2024).

For place, 'at' is for specific locations (e.g., at the airport, at 10 Main Street), 'on' is for wider, but still defined, areas like streets, highways, and floors (e.g., on Oak Street, on the 3rd floor), and 'in' is for the broadest areas like cities, states, and countries (e.g., in Paris, in the USA).

Prepositions of Place

Answers the question “Where?”

🧠 Keep in mind:

In → if you can enter it or it is an enclosed space (e.g., rooms, buildings, or establishments)
On → if is touching or resting on a surface (e.g., floor, grass, or walls)
At → If you are referring to a specific location or near that location

Prepositions of Direction

Answers the question, “Where is something going?”

🧠 Keep in mind:

To use this preposition, you must ensure that your subject involves movement with a purpose. It is trying to go somewhere.

Prepositions of Movement

Answers the question, “How is it moving or how is it changing position?

🧠 Keep in mind:

To use this preposition, you must ensure that your subject involves movement with a purpose. It is trying to go somewhere and changing position.

💬 Prepositional Phrases

Remember, a preposition works as a bridge, so using it in a sentence would look something like: [Rest of the sentence] PREPOSITION [noun].

A prepositional phrase would refer to the contents of your sentence after your preposition.

Example:

I put my book in my backpack.
Charles loves to rest on the floor.
The bag is on the chair.
She walked through the hallway.

🧠 STUDY TIP:

Try to remember specific lyrics to remember if you should use in, on, or at!

“I threw a wish in the well.” (“Call Me Maybe,” Carly Rae Jepsen, 2012)
“We found love in a hopeless place.” (Rihanna, 2011)
“Standing on the edge of glory.” (Lady Gaga, 2011)
“Somebody once told me the world is gonna roll me, I ain’t the sharpest tool in the shed.” (Smash Mouth, 1999)
“I’m still at the restaurant.” (Taylor Swift, 2020)

Please note that playing it by ear is not always the best way to go and lyrics aren't always used in a grammatically correct manner... these examples are just to commit prepositions to memory.

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