Prepositions "On,"
"At," and "In"
A
preposition is a word that links a noun, pronoun, or noun phrase to some other
part of the sentence.
Prepositions
can be tricky for English learners. There is no definite rule or formula for
choosing a preposition. In the beginning stage of learning the language, you
should try to identify a preposition when reading or listening in English and
recognize its usage.
to the office
at the desk
on the table
in an hour
about myself
A preposition is used to show
direction, location, or time, or to introduce an object.
Here are a few common
prepositions and examples.
On
Used to express a surface of
something:
I put an egg on the kitchen table.
The paper is on my desk.
Used to specify days and
dates:
The garbage truck comes on Wednesdays.
I was born on the 14th day of June in 1988.
Used to indicate a device or
machine, such as a phone or computer:
He is on the phone right now.
She has been on the computer since this morning.
My favorite movie will be on TV tonight.
Used to indicate a part of
the body:
The stick hit me on my shoulder.
He kissed me on my cheek.
I wear a ring on my finger.
Used to indicate the state of
something:
Everything in this store is on sale.
The building is on fire.
At
Used to point out specific
time:
I will meet you at 12 p.m.
The bus will stop here at 5:45 p.m.
Used to indicate a place:
There is a party at the club house.
There were hundreds of people at the park.
We saw a baseball game at the stadium.
Used to indicate an email
address:
Please email me at abc@defg.com.
Used to indicate an activity:
He laughed at my acting.
I am good at drawing a portrait.
In
Used for unspecific times
during a day, month, season, year:
She always reads newspapers in the morning.
In the summer, we have a rainy season for three weeks.
The new semester will start in March.
Used to indicate a location
or place:
She looked me directly in the eyes.
I am currently staying in a hotel.
My hometown is Los Angeles, which is in California.
Used to indicate a shape,
color, or size:
This painting is mostly in blue.
The students stood in a circle.
This jacket comes in four different sizes.
Used to express while doing
something:
In preparing for the final report, we revised the tone
three times.
A catch phrase needs to be impressive in marketing a
product.
Used to indicate a belief,
opinion, interest, or feeling:
I believe in the next life.
We are not interested in gambling
Prepositions “across”, “through”,
“past”, “along”
·
across
Across is movement from one
side of an area, surface, or line to the other side.
I drew a line across the paper.
·
through
Through is movement from one
side of an enclosed space to the other side.
The baseball went through the window.
Sometimes, either ACROSS or
THROUGH can be used for areas:
We walked across the park.
= We walked through the park.
They drove across the city.
= They drove through the city.
·
Along
Along is to follow a line. Along from one end to or towards the
other end of something and in a line that follows the side of something long.
·
Past
