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Grammar Guide

Rules, patterns and examples grouped by level — from A1 basics to advanced structures.

A1 Beginner English Grammar

Common Prepositions

What is it?

Prepositions are short words that connect a noun or pronoun to another part of a sentence.

They often show:

  • place: in, on, under, next to
  • time: at, on, in
  • movement: to, into, from
  • position or direction: behind, between, across

Examples:

  • The keys are on the table.
  • We meet at six.
  • She walked to the station.
  • The cat is under the chair.

When to use

Use prepositions of place to show where something is.

  • in the room
  • on the desk
  • under the bed
  • next to the window
  • between two buildings

Use prepositions of time to show when something happens.

  • at five o’clock
  • on Monday
  • in July

Use prepositions of movement to show direction.

  • go to school
  • walk into the room
  • come from Canada
  • run across the street

Structure

A preposition usually comes before a noun, pronoun, or noun phrase.

preposition + noun or pronoun

  • in the kitchen
  • with my friend
  • behind them
  • after work

Common prepositions of place

Preposition Use Example
in inside an area or space The milk is in the fridge.
on touching a surface The book is on the table.
at a specific point or place She is at the bus stop.
under lower than something The shoes are under the bed.
above higher than something The picture is above the sofa.
behind at the back of something The garden is behind the house.
in front of before or ahead of something The car is in front of the building.
next to beside something The bank is next to the shop.
between in the middle of two things The café is between the bank and the hotel.
near close to something We live near the station.

Common prepositions of time

Preposition Use Example
at exact times at 7:30
on days and dates on Friday
in months, years, seasons, longer periods in August
before earlier than a time before dinner
after later than a time after work
during within a period or event during the meeting

Common prepositions of movement

Preposition Use Example
to toward a destination We went to the park.
from starting point She came from work.
into movement from outside to inside He walked into the room.
out of movement from inside to outside They ran out of the house.
across from one side to another We walked across the bridge.
through from one part of something to another The train went through the tunnel.
along following a line or path They walked along the river.
past moving beyond something She drove past the school.

Examples

  1. The phone is on the desk.
  2. She is waiting at the station.
  3. We live in a small apartment.
  4. The dog is under the table.
  5. I have a meeting on Tuesday.
  6. They moved here in 2024.
  7. He arrived at nine o’clock.
  8. She walked into the kitchen.
  9. We drove across the bridge.
  10. The supermarket is next to the bank.

Exceptions

Some expressions use fixed prepositions and must be learned as complete phrases.

  • at home
  • at work
  • by car
  • on foot
  • in bed
  • on time
  • interested in
  • good at

Prepositions can differ between languages, so a direct translation is not always correct.

Some verbs do not use a preposition in English.

  • Correct: enter the room
  • Incorrect: enter into the room

However, go into the room is correct because into shows movement.

Common mistakes

  1. Incorrect: I am in home. Correct: I am at home. Explanation: Use the fixed expression at home.

  2. Incorrect: We will meet in Monday. Correct: We will meet on Monday. Explanation: Use on with days.

  3. Incorrect: The meeting starts on 8:00. Correct: The meeting starts at 8:00. Explanation: Use at with exact times.

  4. Incorrect: She was born on 1995. Correct: She was born in 1995. Explanation: Use in with years.

  5. Incorrect: The cat is in the table. Correct: The cat is under the table. Explanation: Use a preposition that correctly describes the position.

  6. Incorrect: He went in the room. Correct: He went into the room. Explanation: Use into for movement from outside to inside.

  7. Incorrect: We arrived to the airport. Correct: We arrived at the airport. Explanation: Use arrive at for a specific place.

  8. Incorrect: She entered into the office. Correct: She entered the office. Explanation: The verb enter does not normally need into.