Summary
In-depth Explanation
A few of the main categories of prepositions are time, place and movement or direction. As you will see, some prepositions fall under multiple categories.
Prepositions of Time
Prepositions of time show the relationship of time between events. The main prepositions of time are “at,” “in” and “on.”
Preposition | Usage | Example |
at | Used to discuss specific times | She will arrive at 10:30 a.m. We went to bed at midnight. |
in | Used to discuss longer periods of time, such as months, seasons, years, decades, centuries and more | I was born in 1992. They will graduate in May. |
on | Used to talk about days of the week and specific dates | I’m going shopping on Tuesday. Let’s meet on July 24th. |
Prepositions of Place
Prepositions of place indicate the location or position of a person or thing. Here are some common examples:
Preposition | Usage | Example |
in | Used to indicate something is inside an area | The cat is in the box. We live in Mexico. |
on | Used to indicate a location on a surface | The book is on the table. |
at | Used to indicate a specific location | She is waiting at the bus stop. |
under | Shows something is below something else | The keys are under the mat. |
behind | Shows something is at the back of something else | The boy is hiding behind the door. |
between | Shows something is in the middle of two things | The flower is between the two trees. |
Prepositions of Movement and Direction
These propositions show movement or direction from one place to another. Common examples include:
Preposition | Usage | Example |
to | Shows movement toward a destination | We walked to the store. |
into | Shows movement from outside to inside | He jumped into the pool. |
along | Shows movement following a line or path | I walked along the river. |
up | Shows movement to a higher place | She climbed up the ladder. |
down | Shows movement to a lower place | They went down the stairs. |
toward | Shows movement in the direction of something | He ran toward the finish line. |