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:
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.
[Quiz 22.1]
Identify all prepositions in the following sentences.
After flying for many hours, we finally got off the airplane. We walked out the
exit and went to the baggage claim area. There were hundreds of different bags
on the conveyer belt. I almost picked up the wrong one because it looked like
mine.
[Quiz 22.2]
Choose a correct preposition in the sentence.
1) I want to lose 5 kilogram
(on, at, in) one month.
2) Could you get me this pants
(on, at, in) a larger size?
3) She seems to be interested
(on, at, in) Psychology.
4) I will come to pick you up
(on, at, in) 2 pm tomorrow.
5) This class will be held
(on, at, in) Mondays.
View Answers
[22.1]
After flying for many hours, we finally got off the airplane. We
walked out the exit and went to the baggage claim area. There
were hundreds of different bags on the conveyer belt. I almost
picked up the wrong one because it looked like mine.
[22.2]
1) in
2) in
3) in
4) at
5) on
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