Preposition
Prepositions: Study Material Made Easy with Emojis 📍🗺️
What is a Preposition? 🤔
- A preposition shows the relationship (in space, time, or logic) between two or more people, places, or things.
- Usually followed by a noun or pronoun.
- Example: The cat is on the table. 🐈🪑
Common Prepositions & Their Uses with Examples and Emojis
1. On
- Surface: The book is on the table. 📚🪑
- Days/Dates: I will come on Monday. 📅
- Devices: She is on the phone. 📱
- Body Parts: Ring on my finger. 💍
- State: The products are on sale. 🏷️
2. At
- Place: Meet me at the park. 🌳
- Time: See you at 5 p.m. ⏰
- Activity: John laughed at my acting. 😂
- Email: Contact me at xyz@xyz.com 📧
3. In
- Location: I live in Mumbai. 🏙️
- Time (months, years, seasons): School starts in March. 📆
- Feeling/Opinion: I believe in hard work. 💪
- Size/Color/Shape: The dress comes in four sizes. 👗
4. To
- Destination: Going to college. 🏫
- Relationship: Your answer is important to me. 🤝
- Limit: Piled up to the roof. 🏠
- Period: I am here from 10 to 5. ⏳
5. Of
- Belonging: Dreamed of being famous. 🌟
- Reference: Picture of my birthday. 🎂
- Amount: A group of people. 👥
6. For
- Reason: I am happy for you. 😊
- Duration: Stayed for one year. 📅
- Use: Preparing for exams. 📝
Other Important Prepositions with Examples
| Preposition | Meaning/Use | Example Sentence | Emoji |
|---|---|---|---|
| above | higher than/over | The sun is above the clouds. | ☀️☁️ |
| across | from one side to another | Ran across the road. | 🏃♂️🛣️ |
| after | following/later than | I’ll call you after lunch. | 📞🍽️ |
| against | in opposition/contact | Sofa is against the wall. | 🛋️🧱 |
| along | from end to end | Walking along the street. | 🚶♂️🏙️ |
| among | surrounded by | Peter was among the spectators. | 👦👥 |
| around | in a circle/near | Walked around the table. | 🚶♂️🪑 |
| before | earlier/in front of | The day before yesterday. | 📅 |
| behind | at the back of | Passengers sit behind the driver. | 🧑✈️🚗 |
| below | lower than | Shorts are below his knees. | 🩳🦵 |
| beneath | under | Pen was beneath the books. | 🖊️📚 |
| beside | next to | Bank is beside the cinema. | 🏦🎬 |
| between | separating two things | Sat between Tom and Jane. | 👩👦👩 |
| by | near/not later than | Report by Friday. | 📄📆 |
| inside | on the inner part | Bird is inside the cage. | 🐦🕊️ |
| into | enter a closed space | Went into the shop. | 🚶♂️🏪 |
| near/close to | close to | School is near the church. | 🏫⛪ |
| off | down/away from | Fell off the horse. | 🏇⬇️ |
| on | touching a surface | Plate is on the table. | 🍽️🪑 |
| onto | move to a surface | Cat jumped onto the roof. | 🐈🏠 |
| opposite | facing | Sat opposite Tom. | 👩👦👩 |
| out of | move from a closed space | Got out of the taxi. | 🚕🚶♂️ |
| outside | on the outer side | Garden is outside the house. | 🏡🌳 |
| over | above/across | Plane flew over the Atlantic. | ✈️🌊 |
| past | beyond | Drove past the supermarket. | 🚗🏪 |
| through | from one side to other | Seine flows through Paris. | 🌊🏙️ |
| under | beneath/below | Water flows under the bridge. | 💧🌉 |
| up | towards a higher position | Walked up the stairs. | 🚶♂️⬆️ |
| within | inside | Live within the old city. | 🏙️ |
| without | not have/lack | Coffee without milk. | ☕🥛❌ |
Prepositions in Abstract Meanings 💡
- Prepositions can show not just physical space, but also ideas:
- “He is behind the government.” (supports)
- “Learning Chinese in a year was beyond them.” (too difficult)
Prepositions After Adjectives & Nouns 🧩
| Adjective/Noun | Preposition | Example | Emoji |
|---|---|---|---|
| aware, full | of | She is full of energy. | ⚡ |
| different, separate | from | This is different from that. | 🔄 |
| similar, due | to | This is similar to mine. | 👯♂️ |
| familiar, wrong | with | I’m familiar with this. | 🤝 |
| good, surprised | at | Good at singing. | 🎤 |
| interested | in | Interested in music. | 🎵 |
| responsible, good | for | Responsible for the project. | 🏗️ |
| worried, excited | about | Excited about the trip. | ✈️ |
Prepositions After Verbs (Phrasal Verbs) 🔗
- Look for (search): I am looking for my keys. 🗝️
- Wait for (stay until): Wait for the bus. 🚌
- Accuse of: He accused her of cheating. 🚨
When to Omit Prepositions 🚫
- No preposition before time/place words with qualifiers (this, that, next, last, every, all, before):
- She went this morning.
- Met him last Sunday.
- See you next week.
- No preposition before: yesterday, today, tomorrow:
- He will come tomorrow.
- I met him yesterday.
- No preposition before “home”:
- I am going home. 🏡
Common Mistakes & Quick Fixes ❌✅
- Arrive at (place), Arrive in (city/country):
- Arrived at the station. 🚉
- Arrived in London. 🏙️
- At night, in the morning/afternoon/evening:
- Mumbai is beautiful at night. 🌃
- I study in the morning. 🌅
- For (period), Since (point in time):
- I’ve lived here for five years.
- I’ve lived here since 2020.
- Live/work/study in (city/country), at (address):
- Live in Delhi. 🏙️
- Live at 34 Brown Street. 🏠
- Welcome to (place):
- Welcome to India! 🇮🇳
- Married to (someone):
- She is married to John. 💍
Practice Questions 📝
- Peter is playing tennis ___ Sunday. Answer: on
- My brother’s birthday is ___ the 5th of November. Answer: on
- My birthday is ___ May. Answer: in
- We are going to see my parents ___ the weekend. Answer: at
- ___ 1666, a great fire broke out in London. Answer: In
- I don’t like walking alone in the streets ___ night. Answer: at
- What are you doing ___ the afternoon? Answer: in
- My friend has been living in Canada ___ two years. Answer: for
Quick Reference Table 📊
| Preposition | Use/Example | Emoji |
|---|---|---|
| on | on Monday, on the table | 📅🪑 |
| in | in May, in Mumbai | 📆🏙️ |
| at | at 5 p.m., at the park | ⏰🌳 |
| for | for two years | 🕰️ |
| since | since 2020 | 📅 |
| to | to the station | 🚉 |
| of | picture of my birthday | 🎂 |
Tip:
- Use prepositions to show time, place, direction, and relationships.
- Remember common patterns and avoid typical mistakes!
- Practice with examples and emojis for quick recall! 😃123
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