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English Prepositions

Prepositions are short words like in, on, at, for and with that link a noun to the rest of the sentence. They show place (in the office), time (on Monday, at 5 o'clock) and other relationships.

  • CEFR A1
  • 9-question quiz
  • 2 exercises

This unit introduces prepositions, including those that deal with time and place/location. A preposition is a word that expresses a relation between one word in a sentence and another. It connects a noun to the rest of a sentence.
Prepositions can indicate a time, a location, or a relationship between two nouns.

Common prepositions:
about, after, against, at, between, by, down, for, from, in, into, near, of, off, on, out, over, since, through, to, towards, under, until, up, with, without.

Examples:

There is a worm  in the apple. (preposition of place)
There is a bus stop down the street. (preposition of place)
The child is next to her father. (preposition of place)

We will meet in the afternoon. (preposition of time)
I get up at 6:00 a.m. every day. (preposition of time)
We couldn’t talk during the exam. (preposition of time)

Let’s bake a cake with chocolate chips. (preposition links “cake” and “chocolate chips”)
I would like some water with my dinner. (preposition links “water” and “dinner”)
Julia will ride with Sam. (preposition linking Julia and Sam)

Key vocabulary

WordMeaningExample
at (time)for clock times and exact momentsThe meeting starts at 9:30.
on (time)for days and datesI don't work on Saturday.
in (time)for months, years, seasons and parts of the dayWe hire new interns in June.
at (place)for a point or a specific placeI'm at the bus stop now.
in (place)inside a spaceYour keys are in the top drawer.
on (place)on a surfaceThe report is on your desk.
next tobeside, very close toThe printer is next to the kitchen.
duringwhile something is happeningPlease turn off your phone during the meeting.
withtogether with someone or somethingI'd like a salad with my sandwich.
fromthe starting point or originOur new colleague is from Brazil.

Practice: English Prepositions

Work through the exercises, then test yourself with the quiz. Learn from your mistakes and try again as often as you like.

Exercises

Choose in, on or at

Complete each sentence with in, on or at.

  1. My flight leaves ______ 7:15 tomorrow morning.

    clock time

    Show answer

    at

  2. We have a staff meeting ______ Tuesday.

    day

    Show answer

    on

  3. She started her job ______ 2022.

    year

    Show answer

    in

  4. I usually go for a walk ______ the evening.

    part of the day

    Show answer

    in

  5. The files are ______ the cabinet.

    inside

    Show answer

    in

  6. Please leave the key ______ the table.

    surface

    Show answer

    on

  7. Let's meet ______ the entrance.

    a specific point

    Show answer

    at

  8. My birthday is ______ March 3rd.

    date

    Show answer

    on

Choose the preposition

Complete each sentence with a preposition from the list: from, with, during, next to, for, under.

  1. Where are you ______?

    origin

    Show answer

    from

  2. I'm buying lunch ______ the whole team.

    for the benefit of

    Show answer

    for

  3. Nobody spoke ______ the presentation.

    while it was happening

    Show answer

    during

  4. Can I come ______ you to the store?

    together

    Show answer

    with

  5. The cat is sleeping ______ the table.

    below

    Show answer

    under

  6. The bank is ______ the post office.

    beside

    Show answer

    next to

Quiz: 9 questions

1. Which word is the preposition in this sentence? We're cooking for ten guests tonight.
2. Complete the sentence: Where do you come ______?
3. Find the preposition of place.
4. Find the preposition of time.
5. Which sentence can be completed with "at"?
6. Let's meet at the bus station ______ 5 o'clock.
7. It's ______ a good cause!
8. I have to go to work ______ Saturday.
9. My birthday is ______ May.

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