PREPOSITIONS FOR TIME, PLACE AND INTRODUCING OBJECTS

One point in time

On is used with days:

· I will see you on Monday.

· The week begins on Sunday.

At is used with noon, night, midnight, and with the time of day:

· My plane leaves at noon.

· The movie starts at 6 p.m.

In is used with other parts of the day, with months, with years, with seasons:

· He likes to read in the afternoon.

· The days are long in August.

· The book was published in 1999.

· The flowers will bloom in spring.

Extended time

To express extended time, English uses the following prepositions: since, for, by, from—to, from-until, during,(with)in

· She has been gone since yesterday. (She left yesterday and has not returned.)

· I'm going to Paris for two weeks. (I will spend two weeks there.)

· The movie showed from August to October. (Beginning in August and ending in October.)

· The decorations were up from spring until fall. (Beginning in spring and ending in fall.)

· I watch TV during the evening. (For some period of time in the evening.)

· We must finish the project within a year. (No longer than a year.)

Place

To express notions of place, English uses the following prepositions: to talk about the point itself: in, to express something contained: inside, to talk about the surface: on, to talk about a general vicinity, at.

· There is a wasp in the room.

· Put the present inside the box.

· I left your keys on the table.

· She was waiting at the corner.

Higher than a point

To express notions of an object being higher than a point, English uses the following prepositions: over, above.

· He threw the ball over the roof.

· Hang that picture above the couch.

Lower than a point

To express notions of an object being lower than a point, English uses the following prepositions: under, underneath, beneath, below.

· The rabbit burrowed under the ground.

· The child hid underneath the blanket.

· We relaxed in the shade beneath the branches.

· The valley is below sea-level.

Close to a point

To express notions of an object being close to a point, English uses the following prepositions: near, by, next to, between, among, opposite.

· She lives near the school.

· There is an ice cream shop by the store.

· An oak tree grows next to my house

· The house is between Elm Street and Maple Street.

· I found my pen lying among the books.

· The bathroom is opposite that room.

To introduce objects of verbs

English uses the following prepositions to introduce objects of the following verbs.

At: glance, laugh, look, rejoice, smile, stare

· She glanced at her reflection.
(exception with mirror: She glanced in the mirror.)

· You didn't laugh at his joke.

· I'm looking at the computer monitor.

· We rejoiced at his safe rescue.

· That pretty girl smiled at you.

· Stop staring at me.

Of: approve, consist, smell

· I don't approve of his speech.

· My contribution to the article consists of many pages.

· He came home smelling of alcohol.

Of (or about): dream, think

· I dream of finishing college in four years.

· Can you think of a number between one and ten?

· I am thinking about this problem.

For: call, hope, look, wait, watch, wish

· Did someone call for a taxi?

· He hopes for a raise in salary next year.

· I'm looking for my keys.

· We'll wait for her here.

· You go buy the tickets and I'll watch for the train.

· If you wish for an "A" in this class, you must work hard.