Rules of Preposition

By the end of this lesson students will be able to learn the appropriate uses of prepositions.

1. Kabir Ahmed
Lecturer in English

2. English Grammar
Prepositions
For Class-XI & XII

3. Rule-1: Preposition
Preposition of time: on, in, at.
At: at is used to express precise time.
Salma gets up atsix every day.
Salma takes a nap atnoon.

4. Rule-2: Preposition
In: in is used before year, months, seasons
and other long periods
Salma lived in Rajshahiin1998.
Salma was born inApril.
It is hot insummer.
In the past, there were a lot of fish in this
river.

5. Rule-3: Preposition
On: on is used before daysand dates.
My roommate threw a surprising party on
my birthday.
Children get red envelopes onChinese
New Year’s Eve.
We do not work onFriday.

6. Rule-4 : Preposition
＊No preposition is used before words
like this, last, or next
She is coming back nextTuesday.
We went hiking thismorning.
I met her lastsummer.

7. Rule-5: Prepositions
Preposition of places
At: at is used for a specific point
I will be waiting for you atthe bus stop.
Please wait for me atthe entrance.
There is a park atthe end of the road.

8. Rule-6: Preposition
In:in is used for an enclosed space or in a
larger place.
The airplane will be landing inDhaka in
five minutes.
My mother is working inthe garden.
You can find the scissors inthe drawer.

9. Rule-7: Preposition
On: on is used for a surface
The cat is lying onthe ground.
There are a clock and a painting onthe
wall.

10. Rule-8: Preposition
Special Usage of on, inand at.
We use at home, at work, at school, at the
top, at the bottom,
We use in a car, in a taxi, in a boat, buton
a bus, on a train, on a plane, on a ship.
Ona bicycle, onthe radio, and onTV, but
inthe newspaper.

11. Rule-9: Prepositions
about
1)on the subject of: This is a story about
aliens.
2)approximately:She is abouttwenty
years old.

12. Rule-10: Preposition
above
1)Over: The picture is abovethe piano.
across
1)from one side to the other: We swam
across the lake.
2)on the other side of: There is a store
acrossthe street.

13. Rule-11: Preposition
after
1)later in time:
Mrs. Fatemais used to taking a nap after
lunch.
2) later in a series:
1)B comes afterA in the alphabet.

14. Rule-12: Preposition
against
1)in opposition to: Smoking on the plane
is againstthe law.
2)touching: I leaned my bicycle against
the wall.

15. Rule-13: Preposition
along
1)following the length of: Walk alongthe
street and you will see the barbershop.
among
1)within a group: The money is going to
be shared amongfive persons.

16. Rule-14: Preposition
around
1)circling something: Let me show you
around.
2)approximately: Most of the basketball
players are aroundsix feet tall.

17. Rule-15: Preposition
before
1)earlier in time: You have to come back
beforetwelve o’clock.
2)earlier in a series:A comes beforeB in
the alphabet.

18. Rule 16: Preposition
below
1)under: It’s cold today. The temperature
must bebelow zero.
beside
1)next to: The coffee shop is besidethe
flower shop.
besides
1)also; as well as: We study Spanish and
French besidesEnglish.

19. Rule-17: Preposition
behind
1)at the back of: There is a dog behind
the sofa.
2)late: I am behindin my work.

20. Rule-18: Preposition
by
1)near:I would like to buy a house bythe
sea.
2)past: He waved to his wife and kids as
he drove bythe house.
3)not later than: Try to finish the work by
next week.
4)through the means of:We like traveling
byplane.

21. Rule-19: Preposition
during
1)throughout a period: Most students
have a part-time job duringthe summer
vacation.
except
1)not including: The teacher gave each
student a present except Jafar.

22. Rule-20: Preposition
for
1)duration of time: We have walked for
two hours.
2)purpose: I bought this jacket foryou.
3)in favor of: I am forthe proposal.

23. Rule-21: Preposition
Into
1)to the inside of: We stepped intothe
room.
2)change of condition: The frog changed
intoa prince.

24. Rule-22: Preposition
of
1)part of a group: One ofyou has to go to
the conference.
2)measurement: a cup ofmilk; two meters
ofsnow

25. Rule-23: Preposition
off
1)away from: Please keep offthe grass.
Above/over
1)above: There are pictures above the TV.
2)more than: The watch costs overten
thousand dollars.

26. Rule-24: Preposition
to
1)in the direction of: Turn tothe right.
2)destination: I am going toRome.
3)until: from Monday to Friday; five
minutes toten

27. Rule-25: Preposition
under
1)beneath: The cat is lying underthe
dining table.
2)less than: Under100 people were
present.

28. Rule-26: Preposition
until
1)up to a certain time: She will stay until
Sunday.
with
1)accompanying:I live withmy parents
and my two younger sisters.
2)using: I repaired the shoes withglue.

29. Rule-27: Preposition
Without
1)not having: Do not go out without
putting on your coat.

30. Try yourself
Use an appropriate preposition to
complete each sentence.
1.Masud was born __________ 1998.
2.Someone is playing the piano ________
the classroom.
3.The secretary is talking on the phone
____________ this moment.

31. Try yourself
4.Salma got an i-pod _________ his
birthday.
5._________ the past, Mr. Tareq was very
poor.
6.My husband always has tea __________
the afternoon.
7.We have typhoons ________ September
and October.

32. More Prepositions to Practice
1.My mother’s birthday is ______ May 15th.
2.He's working on his homework _____this
moment.
3.I had a terrible dream _______ last week.
4.I lived in the US _________the 1980s.
5.I'll see you _________a few weeks.
6.We like going to the movies _________
the morning.

33. More Prepositions to Practice
7.He lives _________ Cairo.
8.My boyfriend works_________ a hospital.
9.He went _________his friend's house
last night.
10.I'm going to stay _________home.
11.We played tennis yesterday. We played
________ two hours.
12.Why don't we go _________the movies
tonight?

34. More Prepositions to Practice
13.We are visiting Disney World _______
Florida this summer.
14.What time did you arrive ______ the hotel?
15.He's sitting _________the chair next
_________ the piano.
16.There are a lot of beautiful pictures
_________the wall.
17.I live _________the fifth floor of my
apartment building.

35. See you soon