Usages and Rules of Prepositions

Rules for Prepositions in, on, at, to

Basic Rules for Time
A. at a time
B. on a day
C. in a month (season, year, decade, century)

Basic Rules for Place
D. at an address
E. on a street
F. in an area (neighborhood, town, borough, state, country, continent, ocean, world, universe)


Special Rules
1. look at and listen to
2. to with verbs of desire, necessity, expectation
love to, like to, hate to, want to, need to, have to, hope to, expect to
3. at night
in the morning, in the afternoon, in the evening
4. on transportation
on the bus, on the train, on the subway, on a plane, on a jet, on a ship, on a bicycle, on a motorcycle, on a surfboard, on a skateboard
BUT
in a car, in a taxi, in a small boat, in an elevator, in a helicopter
5. at an intersection (where two streets cross)
at Broadway and 42nd Street, at Fifth Avenue and 34th Street
6. on an island, on a farm, on a college campus, on earth, on a planet
7. expressions that mean sometimes use different prepositions:
from time to time, on occasion, once in a while
8. in a park, in a yard, at a playground
9. on anything flat
on a plate, on the wall, on the floor, on a shelf, on the blackboard,
on a table, on a desk, on the door, on the stove, on your face
10. in a room or anything smaller
in the closet, in a drawer, in a cup, in a bowl, in a glass, in your mouth, ideas in your head (BUT a hat on your head), a look in your eye
11. to when moving from point A to point B
go to school, drive to work, take a trip to Boston, take your kids to school, fly to London, walk to the library, bring your dog to the vet
12. on a/an [adjective] morning, afternoon, evening, night, day
on a cold afternoon, on a sunny morning, on a rainy evening,
on a Saturday night, on a spring day, on a special night
13. on vacation, on the weekend, on a trip, on a picnic, on your break,
on a leave of absence, on your lunch hour
14. in the water swimming, on the water boating
15. at the beach, on the sand getting a suntan, in the sand playing
16. on anything like a line
on the coast, stand on line, on the border, on the side of the room
17. on forms of communication
on TV, on the radio, on the phone, on the fax machine, on the computer, on a disk, on a CD, on a hard drive, on a channel, on a screen, a report on/about the economy, an article on/about the election campaign
18. on time, on time for something, in time to do something (Come on time. Come in time to get a seat.)

A Lot of Luggage-Reading Activity

Here is a short reading and a few questions about the activity:
A LOT OF LUGGAGE

Kevin and Sharon Fox are on holiday with their three children. Their car is small, and there's a lot of luggage.

Kevin : Oh dear. There are six cases, and the boot isn't very big.
Sharon : Well, come on! Where's the big grey suitcase?
Kevin : It's here.
Sharon : Put in the car first.
Kevin : OK. It's very heavy.
Sharon : There are a lot of clothes in it.
Kevin : Give me the blue suitcase.
Sharon : Here you are.
Kevin : Good, and the red suitcase.
Sharon : Here it is.
Kevin : They're on top of the big case. Whose bag is this?
Sharon : It's Jimmy's. Put it there, next to the blue case.
Kevin : Right. And the two small cases. . .
Sharon : Here they are.
Kevin : That's OK. They're in the boot.
Sharon : Now close the boot.
Kevin : Phew! Where are my keys? They aren't in my pocket.
Sharon : Are they in your jacket?
Kevin : Oh , yes. Yes, they are. Where is my jacket?
Sharon : Is it in the car?
Kevin : In the car?
Sharon : Yes. Is it on the seat?
Kevin : No, no, it isn't. Oh, no! It's in he big suitcase.
Sharon : Oh, no!
Kevin : Oh yes. And the big suitcase is in the boot, under the other cases.
Sharon : Kevin . . open the boot!

Now read the questions carefully!

A LOT OF LUGGAGE

1. How many cases are there?
2. How many children are there?
3. How much luggage is there?
4. Are the keys in his pocket?
5. Where are they?
6. Where's his jacket?
7. Where's the big suitcase?

At the end, if you find these difficult, go back and read it again.

How To Control English Language

When you want to take control of the English Language, you may ask yourself;

How can I speak English better?
How can I communicate better in English?
How can I express myself better in English?
How can I listen and understand English better?
How can I improve it?

So, what are the correct answers?

What do we mean for taking control of the English language?

You speak English at an advanced level. You speak it fluently and you use it every day, yet you aren’t satisfied with your ability. You feel like you can’t express yourself the way you want to. When you can’t say what you want to say or need to say in the manner that you would like to, it might not leave you with the best feeling you could possibly have. There is only one thing to do about it. You must take control of the English language. What does taking control of the English language mean? It does not mean taking control of the entire language. It means taking control of the English language that is yours; the English language that you have. It means using the English that you already have to get more. It means taking responsibility for your own learning.

You might tell yourself that you want to take private instruction with an English language tutor. Good idea! However, there is something you should know and be well aware of. What happens during the time that you meet with an English language tutor is very important, but what happens during the time between your meetings with an English language tutor is even more important. The proactive steps that you take in order to improve have a direct effect on what it is you get out of the time and money that you spend with an English language tutor. In order to receive the maximum benefit possible for the money you spend on a tutor, you must dedicate a sufficient amount of time to studying between each lesson. Of course, the amount of time that anyone is able to dedicate to studying will vary, but nevertheless, it must be done. Furthermore, there are a number of things you should do leading up to the time that you decide to pick up the phone and make that call. So you ask, what is it that I need to do? What can I do on my own?

Good Bye To You