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GRAMMAR LESSON

Prepositions – Place, Time, Direction

Intermediate

Parts of Speech

UNDERSTAND THE PATTERN

The rule in plain English

Prepositions link a noun phrase to another part of a sentence. They can express place (under the table), time (on Monday) or direction (towards the door). Learn the whole phrase, because more than one preposition may be grammatical with a different meaning.

SEE HOW IT WORKS

Examples in context

  1. The cat is resting on the sofa cushion.
  2. She arrived at the airport at six.
  3. I was born in March.

MAKE IT STICK

Put the rule into practice

Try 3 questions. Read the explanation after each answer, then review any mistakes and try again.

Make it yours

Write one sentence about your life using this grammar.

Check your sentence

Prepositions link a noun phrase to another part of a sentence. They can express place (under the table), time (on Monday) or direction (towards the door). Learn the whole phrase, because more than one preposition may be grammatical with a different meaning.

Compare: The cat is resting on the sofa cushion.

Check the sentence structure and whether your meaning fits the rule.

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GO DEEPER

Explore the full explanation

What do prepositions show?

Prepositions commonly show relationships of place, time, direction or other kinds: in the box, after lunch, towards the door, with a friend. They usually introduce a noun phrase or pronoun. Some are multiword expressions, such as in front of and because of.

Place and movement

  • In: The receipt is in my bag. It is inside.
  • On: The mug is on the table. It rests on the surface.
  • At: We met at the station. The station is the meeting location.
  • To / from: We travelled from Pune to Mumbai. From marks the starting point; to marks the destination.
  • Into: She put the letter into the envelope. It moves from outside to inside.

Several prepositions can be grammatical with the same noun. The cat is under the bed and The cat is beside the bed describe different positions. A useful exercise supplies the position in words or a picture.

Time expressions

  • At seven o’clock: a clock time.
  • On Monday: a named day.
  • In October: a month.
  • For two hours: a duration.
  • Since Monday: a starting point.

These patterns have conventional exceptions: at night, in the morning, on Monday morning. Learn the complete expression. British English commonly uses at the weekend; American English commonly uses on the weekend.

Prepositions in a short scene

At the café, I sat beside a friend. My bag was under the table. After lunch, we walked towards the station.

The phrases are at the café, beside a friend, under the table, after lunch and towards the station. Each links information to the rest of the sentence.

Natural word order

A preposition at the end is often standard: Who are you talking to? A more formal alternative is To whom are you talking? Do not treat the first as a grammar error. Also learn fixed combinations such as interested in, depend on and good at.

Quick self-check

  1. Choose in/on/at: The lesson starts ___ seven o’clock.
  2. Choose to/from: France was their destination. They moved ___ France.
  3. Choose under/above: The cat is below the bed, between it and the floor. It is ___ the bed.
Check the answers

1. At: a clock time. 2. To: the stated destination. 3. Under: the described lower position.

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