LET's DO GRAMMAR!: The Preposition: meaning, classification and use.

Prepositions of Time

Elementary Level:

We use:

at = a PRECISE TIME
in = MONTHS, YEARS, CENTURIES and LONG PERIODS
on = DAYS and DATES

Examples:

I have a meeting at 9am.
The shop closes at midnight.
Jane went home at lunchtime.
In England, it often snows in December.
Do you think we will go to Jupiter in the future?
There should be a lot of progress in the next century.
Do you work on Mondays?
Her birthday is on 20 November.
Where will you be on New Year's Day?

Intermediate Level:

We use:

in = in months, year, seasons, part of the day, duration.

at = part of the dat, time of day, celebrations, fixed phrases.

on = days of the week, daye, special holidays, a special part of a day.

after = later than smth.

ago = how far smth. happened in the past.

before = earlier than smth.

between = time that separates two points.

by = not later that a special time.

during = through the whole of a period of time.

for = period of time.

from...to = two points of a period.

from... = two points of a period.

till/until = two points of a period.

past = time of the day.

since = points of time.

till/until = no later than a special time.

to = time of the day.

up to = not more than a special time.

within = during a period of time.

Examples:

In July, in September.

In 1985, in 1999.

In summer, in the summer of 69.

In the morning, in the afternoon, in the evening.

In a minute, in two weeks.

At night, at 6 o'clock, at midnight.

At Christmas, at Easter

On Sunday, on Friday.

On the 25th of December.

On Good Friday, on Easter Sunday, on my birthday.

On the moring of September the 11th.

After school

6 years ago.

Before Christmas.

Between Monday and Friday.

By Thursday.

For three weeks.

From Monday to Wednesday.

23 minutes past 6 (6:23)

Since Monday.

Till tomorrow. Until tomorrow.

23 minutes to 6 (5:37).

Up to 6 hours a day.

Within a day.

Advanced Level:

We use:

AS FROM / AS OF = unknown duration from a given time
BETWEEN = from one specific time to another
DURATION = A. period, or length, of time B. event within a certain period
FOR = duration, or a given length of time
FROM... TILL = duration between two given points
IN = specified duration
SINCE = duration from a given time until the present
THROUGHOUT = from the beginning to the end
TILL = duration to a given point
UNTIL = same as till
UP TO = same as till
WITHIN = specified duration

Examples:

The new tax law will be in force as from 31 January.

As of today, I'm on a diet.

I often go for a coffee between my morning and afternoon classes.

The weather was horrible during our holiday; it rained everyday.

He twisted his ankle during the game and walks with crutches now.

He taught English for 25 years before he retired.

From the time he wakes up till the time he goes to bed he's on the move.

Wait a minute, will you? I’ll be back in just a few minutes.

That bakery has been in business since 1947.

Throughout his life, Gandhi advocated peaceful resistance.

She lived her till 1985, then she moved to Chicago.

Until the day he died, the prisoner insisted he was innocent.

Up to now, I've visited four shoe stores looking for new shoes.

The train will arrive within the next few minutes.

Prepositions of place.

Elementary level:

We use:

At/on = We use at for a point: We use on for a surface.

*At = 1. We say that someone is at an event. 2. We say at with buildings when we say where the event (film, concert,...). 3. We say at someone's house. 4. We say at for a place which is a part of our journey:

In = We use in for an enclosed space. 1. We say in when we talk about a building itself. 2. We usually say in with towns and villages.

On = 1. We use on with small islands. 2. We say that a place is on the coast / on a river / on a road.

Note expressions:

AT
at home - at work - at school - at university - at college - at the station - at an airport - at the seaside - at sea (on a voyage) - at reception - at the corner of a street - at the back / front of a building / cinema / group of people, etc. - arrive at with other places or events
IN
in the newspaper - in bed - in hospital - in prison - in the street - in the sky - in an armchair (sit) - in a photograph - in a picture - in a mirror - in the corner of a room - in the back / front of a car - arrive in a country or town
ON
on a farm - on the left - on the right - on the ground floor - on the first, second,... floor - on the way - on the chair (sit) - on the radio - on television - on a horse - on the corner of a street - on the back / front of a letter / piece of paper etc.

Examples:

At the window - at the entrance - at the door on the wall - on the ceiling - on the floor - on a page.

At the end of the street - at the station - at the top on a cover.

Bill is waiting for you at the bus stop.

Have you seen the notice on the notice board?

In the garden - in the house - in London - in the water.

In her bag - in a row - in a town.

There is nobody in the room. She lives in a small village.

She spent her holiday on a small island.

London is on the river Thames.

Portsmouth is on the south coast of England.

The rooms of Tom's house are small. His parents live in York.

Intermediate level:

We use:

To = We say go / come / travel / fly / walk / return / drive / have been etc. to a place or event.

Into = We say go into / come into etc. = enter a room / building etc.

By = We say by to say how we travel.

But = we say on foot, we cannot use by if you say my car / the train / a taxi.

Examples:

Last year we flew to London. We went to work at seven. He opened the door and went into the room.

We went to Paris by plane. I usually go to work by bike / by car / by underground / by bus.

Then use in for taxis and cars.
Then use on for bike / public transport.

Prepositions of movement.

Elementary level:

We use:

Across = "He threw the ball across the court."

Along = "They drove along the road."

Around = "The bees buzzed around his head."

Back to = "He had to go back to square one."

Down = "He skied down the mountain."

Into = "The man poured the sand into the timer."

Off = "The man ran off the cliff."

Onto (on to) = "The chiropractor jumped onto his back."

Out of = "The money flew out of the window."

Over = "The cow jumped over the moon."

Past = "The wheel span past the winning line."

Round = "The arrow is moving round the ball."

To = "He carried the rubbish to the bin."

Through = "The train came through the tunnel."

Towards = "The meteor was heading towardsthe planet."

Under = "She limboed under the pole."

Up = "They went up the escalator."

Intermediate level:

We use:

Prepositions are used to show movement to or from a place.
To = We use to to show movement with the aim of a specific destination.

Through = We use through to show movement from one side of an enclosed space to the other.

Across = We use across to show movement from one side of a surface or line to another.

Examples:

I moved to Germany in 1998.
He's gone to the shops.
The train went through the tunnel.
She swam across the river.

Mind these examples*:

She ran...
-across the road. (from one side to the other)
-along the road. (The length of the road.)
-around the playground.
-away from the policeman.
-back to the shop.
-down the hill.
-into the room.
-off the stage.
-onto (on to) the platform.
-out of the theatre.
-over the bridge. (from one side of an open space to the other)
-past the opening.
-round the track.
-through the tunnel.
-to the door.
-towards the bus stop.
-under the shelter.
-up the hill.

Note* - a lot of sites say that around and round are the same, but there can be a difference, especially in BrE. If someone says "they were running around", it implies the movement is erratic.

Advanced level:

We use:

Prepositions of movement passing through are used like all other prepositions. The list that follows contains definitions and idiomatic uses.
ACROSS = to go from one side to the other (usually on surface).

ALONG = to pass the length of something.

DOWN (UP) = The whole length of something.

PAST = A. to pass from one side to the other (laterally) B. to avoid someone or something (idiomatic).

THROUGH = between the parts of smth.

OVER = Go from one side to the other (similar to across, but usually above).

Set phrases:

Pace up and down a room, a street, a cage, etc. (similar to back and forth)

Examples:

We took two days to get across Lake Superior.
**BUT** The dog jumped across the small stream.
They went along Fifth Avenue and stopped at Central Park.
She walked [ up / down ] the road to the corner and then went out of site.
A. I saw our cat's shadow go past a window in the darkness.
B. I don't know what her problem is; she walked past me as though I had the plague.
I didn't think Id get the car through that narrow gate.
I flew over Canada on the way to England.