PREPOSITIONS

TYPICAL DIFFICULTIES FOR LEARNERS

A.

Prepositions may be very similar in meaning.

(e.g. in, into, inside )
IN AS A PREPOSITION
IN is used in expressions about:
A. Place and position
As a preposition of position or place, in has the
following uses:

1. Final position as an alternative to into.

a. She put the mirror in her bag.
b. He threw his coat in the corner.

IN AS A PREPOSITION

a.

2. Place or arrival where into is not possible

Dev arrived in Berlin yesterday.

a.

3. Enclosed or covered positions

The knives are in the drawer.

a.
b.

4.Clothes and colours

She arrived in a sweater and jeans.
You look good in red.

IN AS A PREPOSITION

5. Locations
She must be in the library.
b.
They had a pond in their garden.
6. Small vehicles
a. They arrived in a taxi.
b. She sat in the car.
7. Areas and surface
a. He glanced at himself in the mirror.
b. As she bent over she felt a pain in her
back.
8. Weather and conditions
a. Dont lie in the sun for too long.
a.

IN AS A PREPOSITION

B. Inclusion
1. Groups
a. Please wait in the queue.
b. There were forty runners in the first race.

2. Books , plays and films

a. Please read the explanation in chapter 2.

IN AS A PREPOSITION- TIME

a.
b.

a.
b.

c.

1. Morning, afternoon, evening, night

Single occurrences
I woke twice in the night.
Leela rang back in the evening.
Regular occurrences or unvarying situations
I work better in the morning.
We often play games in the evening.
It isnt safe to go out at night.

IN AS A PREPOSITION- TIME

2. Periods, seasons, years, months

a. in 1999, in the early sixties
b. They should be watered more in summer.
c. I met her one day in December.

3. Taking no longer than

a.
We got there in six hours.

4. At the end of the stated time

a. See you in two days time.

IN AS A PREPOSITION- TIME

a.
b.

5. With dates and days of the week, the usual

preposition is on, not in.
See you on Wednesday.
His birthday is on the second of August.

4. IN AS A PREPOSITION - STATES

1. Shapes and arrangements

a. The children stood in a circle.
b. The pupils sat in rows.
2. States, circumstances and conditions
a. Im in a hurry.
b. We stood in silence.
c. He must be in love.
d. His things were in a complete mess.

IN AS A PREPOSITION- STATES

a.
b.

a.
b.

c.

3. During , or as a result of, states or activities

I knocked over the lamp in excitement.
In the confusion three prisoners escaped.
4. Form of communication
Please put your suggestions in writing.
Names are listed in alphabetical order.
You must speak in English.

5. IN AS A PREPOSITION- SPECIFICATIONS OR QUALITIES

1. Area of activity, or subject area

a.

Hes been in politics for twenty years.

Shed like a career in television.

2. Point or aspect
a.
She was a marvellous mother in every way.

3. Colour
a.
This model comes in blue, red or grey.

4. Dimension
a. The pool is about ten metres in width.
b.

IN AS A PREPOSITION-PROPORTIONS OR
QUANTITIES

a.

1. Division
We cut the pizza in three.

2. Proportion
a.
One in three voters were unhappy with government
policy.
3. Quantities
a. Guests arrived on the lawn in twos and threes.

IN AS AN ADVERB

1.

a.
b.

The adverb in expresses both positions and direction.

Position
You are in when you are at a place where you belong
to , or are expected to be, such as your home/office.
I stayed in on my own while the others went to the
cinema.
I rang the bell, but no-one was in.

IN AS AN ADVERB

2. Direction
As an adverb of direction, in has a wider range of
uses
than the preposition.
a. The door opened and in walked Devan.
b. Go straight in; theyre expecting you.
c. Arent you going to ask me in?

PREPOSITIONS - INSIDE

a.

a.

1.Inside carries more emphasis than in:

He pinned the photos inside his desk.
2.To express direction
He turned left and went inside Browns Hotel on
Albert Street.

3.As a preposition of time

a. A full report is expected inside three months.

INSIDE AS AN ADVERB

1. Position
Inside means in the enclosed place referred to:
a. There was a box on the table, with a key inside.
b. Inside, the church was empty.
2. Direction
Inside means into the enclosed part referred to
a. The door opened and Vijay walked inside.

3. INSIDE AS AN ADJECTIVE

a.
b.
c.

d.

He put the letter in his inside pocket.

We had access to inside information.

INTO is a preposition of direction

She poured coffee into the cups.
I saw her going into the fish shop.
He got into his car and drove off.
We crossed the border into Thailand.

SOME COMMON ERRORS

Learners may miss out a preposition:
I like listening music.
Can I look your photographs?
They may use the wrong prepositions:
I have a lot of problems about my English.
They have lived there since 16 years.
The play was written from Shakespeare.
She left it into the room.
Ill tell him. Im going there after 5 minutes.
She got married with a much younger man.

Common Errors

They may use a preposition where one isnt needed.

a. They discussed about the news.
b. I was tired in last night.

They may use a preposition to express purpose.

a. In my country we use two short sticks for eat.
b. I came to Sydney for to study English.

They may use an infinitive instead of to + - ing.

a. I look forward to hear from you soon.
b. She objected to work in those conditions.

They may inappropriately use infinitives after nouns.

She had a lot of difficulty to learn her part in the

play.
This may be because an infinitive would be used
in a similar context in their own language.
In English we can follow some nouns with an
infinitive.
She had a lot of opportunity to learn English.
Our decision to wait was wise.

PREPOSITIONS THAT CAUSE DIFFICULTY

Talk to someone at a party

Go to a play at the theatre
Study a subject at university
Go somewhere by bicycle, boat, bus, car , go by air, land,
sea
Go somewhere on your bicycle, on a boat, on a bus, on a
plane
In a car or taxi
Speak to someone on the phone
Watch something on television
Write your name in pencil.

PREPOSITIONAL PHRASE-PREPOSITION + NOUN

PHRASE
A preposition and the noun following it.
Examples:
at night
after breakfast
at the moment
by chance
by cheque
by means of
for once
for a walk
from now on
off duty
off the road
off the record
out of hand
up to date

out of debt
without delay

out of stock
on credit

PREPOSITIONAL PHRASE- PREPOSITION + WH- CLAUSE

We were not sure of what the teacher said.

PREPOSITION + - ING CLAUSE

She brightened the house by putting fresh flowers
in
every room.