Prepositions of Time, of Place, and to Introduce Objects

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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. For more detail, see our handouts on Prepositions of Location and Prepositions of Direction.

  • 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. For more detail, see our handout on Prepositions of Spatial Relationship.

  • 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. For more detail, see our handout on Prepositions of Spatial Relationship.

  • 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. For more detail, see our handout on Prepositions of Spatial Relationship.

  • 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 took a quick glance at her reflection.
    (exception with mirror: She took a quick glance 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.

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