Introduction to preposition
Answers
Prepositions work with other words in prepositional phrases. A prepositional phrase usually indicates where (by showing direction or location), how (in what way or by what means), or when (at what time or how long) the action in the sentence took place.
Prepositions are hard for most students. Why? Because there are hardly any rules as to when to use which preposition. The only way to learn prepositions is looking them up in a dictionary, reading a lot in English and memorizing useful phrases.Prepositions That Express Time And Place
The following are a few examples of using in, at, and on to show time and place:
Time:
• In a month or a year
Example: “I moved here in 2007 in September”
• In a specific period of time
Example: “She will be in Rome in a few days (seconds, months, etc.)”
• In a specific period of the day
Example: We are going to the park in the afternoon (morning, evening exception: at night)”
• On a specific day
Example: “The party is on Saturday, on your birthday”
• At a specific time or specific period of time
Example: “We will eat at 3:00 at noon (at night at dawn at lunch)”
Place:
• In a location surrounded by something else
Example: ” I live in the state of Nevada (in the livingroom in my apartment in the closet in the tub in downtown New York)”
• At a specified location
Example: “Let’s meet at my house (at the store at the corner of Main St.)”
• On a surface
Example: “The poem is on page 32 (on Broadway on street level on the third floor)”
Exceptions: in the attic or in the basement
A preposition links nouns, pronouns and phrases to other words in a sentence. The word or phrase that the preposition introduces is called the object of the preposition.
Prepositions work with other words in prepositional phrases. A prepositional phrase usually indicates where (by showing direction or location), how (in what way or by what means), or when (at what time or how long) the action in the sentence took place.
Time:
• In a month or a year
Example: “I moved here in 2007 in September”
• In a specific period of time
Example: “She will be in Rome in a few days (seconds, months, etc.)”
• In a specific period of the day
Example: We are going to the park in the afternoon (morning, evening exception: at night)”
• On a specific day
Example: “The party is on Saturday, on your birthday”
• At a specific time or specific period of time
Example: “We will eat at 3:00 at noon (at night at dawn at lunch)”
Place:
• In a location surrounded by something else
Example: ” I live in the state of Nevada (in the livingroom in my apartment in the closet in the tub in downtown New York)”
• At a specified location
Example: “Let’s meet at my house (at the store at the corner of Main St.)”
• On a surface
Example: “The poem is on page 32 (on Broadway on street level on the third floor)”
Exceptions: in the attic or in the basement.