PREPOSITIONS (1)

PREPOSITIONS

AT

·        for time of the day (at 9 o’clock); with some time expressions (at night, at midnight, at lunchtime, at sunset, at weekends, at the moment, at Easter, at present, at the same time)

·        At the end / beginning (of something)= at the time when something ends or begins (at the end / beginning of the month/course/concert)

·        Place: at the bus stop/door/window/top of the page/the traffic lights/ the corner (of a street)/the back or the front (of a building, group of people, etc)/home/school/work/sea/a party, a concert (an event in general)/the station/airport/Jenny’s house/the doctor’s

·        For places or events, we say we arrive at (a hotel/party/work)

·        At the age of/at a speed of/at a temperature of

ON

·        for time.  Days (on Monday) and dates (on May 6^th).

·        On time= not late.  The plane arrived on time.

·        Place: on the wall/floor/my nose/a page/an island/a farm.  On the left/right/the first floor/the menu/a map/a list/a river/a road/the coast/the way to…/the corner (of a street)/the front or the back (of a letter, a piece of paper)/a bus, train, plane, ship, bycicle, motorcycle, horse

·        We say get on a bus, train, plane.

·        (be/go) on holiday/business/a trip/a tour/a cruise

·        on television/the radio/the phone/strike/a diet/fire/the whole/purpose

IN

·        for longer periods of time (in June, in winter, in 1980, in the 1990’s, in the past).  In the morning(s), in the afternoon(s), in the evening(s). BUT: ON Friday evening. In a few minutes, in three months.

·        In time=soon enough. I got there just in time for supper.

·        In the end=finally (opposite: at first).

·        Place: in a room/building/box/garden/city/country. In a line/picture/the world/a book/a letter/the corner (of a room)/the front or the back (of a car)/bed/hospital/prison/a car, a taxi

·        We say we arrive in (a country, town or city). 

·        In the rain/sun/the shade/the dark/bad weather /ink/biro/pencil/ words /figures /block letters/cash/love/my opinion

INTO

·        go into, get into, etc=enter (a room, a building, a car, etc)

·        we sometimes use in (instead of into): Come in (or into) the house.

TO

·        we say we go/come/travel/ get TO a place or event. Also, we say On my way to/a journey to/a trip to/welcome to.

·        We say “I’ve been to…(a place)”

BY

·        to say how to do something. By mail/hand/check/credit card

·        something can happen by mistake/accident/chance

·        we say by to say how we travel: car/train/boat, etc, and by road/rail/sea

·        we say something is done by someone (passive voice)

·        we say “ a play by Shakespeare”, “a painting by Picasso”

·        by=next to. Sit by me.

·        Inflation has increased by 100%.