IELTS exam needs a bit of understanding of some grammatical rules for achieving a better score in all the four modules (Listening, Reading, Writing & Speaking). Preposition is one of the most confusing and elaborate section of English grammar. This post is intended to those candidates of IELTS and other English language exams who find it difficult to get a grip of prepositions easily. Most of the examples for these prepositions of time, place/ position and motion have been clarified here with the use of pictures. Please take a look at the examples for clear explanations.

Basic use of prepositions

Preposition refers to a part of speech that governs (and usually goes before) a noun or pronoun and expresses a connection to another word or element.

For example,       Maxwell came from Indonesia.

Here, the word ‘from’ is a preposition which governs the word ‘Indonesia’. The preposition explains the fact that Maxwell was in Indonesia and he is in a different place. Here, ‘from’ is a preposition of place or position.

More examples: 

The book is in the box.

The book is on the box.

The book is under the box.

There are generally seven types of prepositions:

1. Simple preposition: in, on, for, of, by, to, with, after etc.
2. Double preposition: into (in + to), without (with + out), within (with + in), upon (up + on) etc.
3. Compound preposition: behind (by + hind), before (by + fore), beside (by + side) asleep (on + sleep), across (on + cross) etc.
4. Phrase preposition: on account of, by dint of, instead of, in front of, depend on etc.
5. Participle preposition: considering, regarding, concerning etc.                                                                               For example: I know nothing regarding it.

6. Disguised preposition: sometimes prepositions like on, at, of, per are replaced by ‘a’ or ‘o’.                                             For example: He went a hunting.                     It is 6 o‘clock.

7. Detached preposition: Sometimes some prepositions are found at the end of a sentence.

For example: What is China famous for?

There are hundreds of uses of prepositions in the world and it is fairly impossible to cover them in one or two books. However, if we understand the basic uses of some common prepositions, it becomes easier for us to use them in our day-to-day English.

 Common prepositions can be divided into three basic parts.

1. Preposition of time: These prepositions are commonly used before time.

At: ‘At’ is used before any fixed or specific time (numeric times). (4.00 pm, 7 o’clock, 12 am etc.)

e.g.: I arrived at Trinity College at 08.30 am.

‘At’  is also used before some words like night, midnight, dawn, dusk etc.

e.g.: Chou came to my house at midnight.

On: ‘On’ is used before any day, date or any part of day (Sunday, Tuesday, birthday, victory day, 12/12/11, 7th December, March 5, Sunday morning etc.)

e.g.: She went to Zurich on Sunday.

My birthday is on 23rd May.

Asifa went to Karachi on Monday morning.

In: ‘In’ is used before month, year, season, era, decade, century, millennium (January, August, 1999, 2006, Winter, Summer, Stone age, Computer age, last decade, 1990s etc.)

e.g.: In March I came back to my hometown.

My father went to the UK in 2004.

They will go to Cox’s Bazar in the summer.

In the primitive era, people lived inside caves.

Bob Marley was born in the 1930s.

For: ‘For’ is used before any non-fixed / non-specific time (12 seconds, 18 minutes, 13 hours, 4 days, 5 months, 12 years etc.)

e.g.: He has been waiting for 15 minutes.

It rained for an hour.

She works for 7 months a year.

Before: ‘Before’ is used in front of any time of action which happens earlier.

e.g.: Najib reached Delhi before sunrise.

After: ‘After’ is used in front of any time of action which happens later.

e.g.: Najib reached Kolkata after sunrise.

Since: ‘Since’ is used in front of a fixed point of time from where action starts.

e.g.: Liza has been working since morning.

2. Preposition of place or position: These prepositions are commonly used before any place or position.

Some pictures can clarify this matter easily. Let us think of this shape as a room, or a box or a table.

Now look at the places marked with black dots. These are the places where we use prepositions.

Now, Look at the examples below and match them with the given pictures.

1. He is in my room.
2. The mouse is under the table.
3. The key is inside the box.
4. The pen is on the table.
5. The fan is above the students.
6. Taddy is sitting by/with/beside Paulin.
7. My room is between the kitchen and hall room.
8. My sister is among those little girls.
9. I live at London city in the UK.
10. The goods are in front of the shops.

3. Preposition of motion: These prepositions are used before any motion.

Some pictures can clarify this matter easily. Let us think of this shape as a room, or a box or a place.

Now look at the places marked with black dots. These are the places where we use prepositions.

Now, look at the examples and match them with the pictures.

1. The crows flew over our house.
2. Rami is going to college.
3. Mina is returning from Kabul.
4. They came to London through Coventry.
5. She went up to the 3rd floor.
6. The orange fell onto my lap.
7. Please, do not come into my room now.
8. Get out of the room now!
9. Please, do not run across a busy road.
10. He walks along the river every afternoon.

Thus, we can see that the use of common prepositions is very easy. Students or candidates of different English courses are requested to practice these prepositions by making sentences. Speaking in a group about it can also help a lot.