Used for a multitude of purposes, prepositions can be troublesome simply because in many instances there is no logic, or pattern, to their use. Often used to express the relationship between words, prepositions can in fact be split into definable categories to assist in their understanding and use.

Prepositions of time

Prepositions of time may not be logical, but they can be learnt by heart. Examples:

In	At	On
Months eg in January   Years eg in 2018 Seasons eg in summer Parts of the day eg in the morning	Times eg at 2 o’clock   Holidays eg at Christmas At the weekend At night	Days eg on Saturday

Prepositions of place or movement

These prepositions give information regarding the position of something in relation to something else. These prepositions include above, across, at, away, behind, below, beside, between, by, down, in, in front of, into, near, next to, on, onto, through, towards, under, up. Examples:

The painting is on the wall in the living room.

The man walked under the bridge and through the park.

Dependent prepositions

Many verbs, nouns and adjectives require a preposition to accompany them, and these are called dependent prepositions. Once again they are often not logical, but can be learned by heart. Examples:

I enjoy listening to music.

I enjoy learning lyrics by heart.

My Dad is good at golf.

With these types of prepositions, it is normal and necessary for them to be included in any question or sentence containing its partner word, even if the prepositions feature at the end of that question or sentence. Examples:

What are you listening to?

There are not many sports that my Dad isn’t good at.

Phrasal Verbs

Dependent prepositions should not be confused with phrasal verbs, which are a verb and preposition combination used to create a specific meaning. It is also important to recognise the reason for the preposition included. Examples:

Wait for me. (dependent preposition)

I am not here to wait on you. (phrasal verb, meaning to offer a waiter service)

You often must wait in summer. (a preposition of time)

Practical tips for mastering prepositions

Group prepositions by function (time, place, movement, dependent) and study a few common examples from each group rather than trying to memorise every single use. Patterns help, but expect exceptions and learn those as fixed phrases.

Focus on collocations: learn verbs, adjectives and nouns together with their usual prepositions (listen to, good at, interested in). Practising whole phrases makes correct usage more automatic than learning prepositions in isolation.

Use short active exercises: notice prepositions when reading, rewrite sentences to swap prepositions and observe meaning changes, and speak or write brief examples daily to build fluency.

• Fill-in-the-blank: pick a paragraph and replace all prepositions with blanks, then restore them from memory.
• Meaning test: change one preposition in a sentence and explain how the meaning shifts.
• Chunk practice: write five sentences using the same dependent preposition (e.g., good at, look forward to).

FAQ

How do I choose between in, on and at for time and place?

Use broad guidelines: in = large periods or enclosed spaces (months, years, seasons, cities), on = surfaces or days (on Monday, on the table), at = precise points or small events/times (at 3pm, at the door, at the weekend). These are starting rules – check fixed expressions individually.

Is it okay to end a sentence with a preposition?

Yes. Ending sentences with a preposition is common and natural in everyday English, especially in questions and informal speech. In formal writing you may choose to restructure the sentence, but meaning and clarity are the main priorities.