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.)
(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.
