ESL Inventory

Prepositions: Examples & Exercises

Prepositions are words that show the relationship between a noun or pronoun and other parts of a sentence. The main categories of English prepositions are time, place, and movement. Some prepositions can be used in more than one category, as shown in the diagram below.

English prepositions infographic showing a Venn diagram of prepositions of place, movement, and time. The chart groups common ESL prepositions such as in, on, at, above, below (place), to, into, onto, through, across, along (movement), and before, after, during, since, until (time), with overlapping examples like over, under, around, past, from, and by. Visual grammar guide for ESL learners from ESL-Inventory.
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To study prepositions, avoid translating them to your language since meaning can change depending on the context. Learn to use them according to each context. Below you find 4 main categories: time, place, movement, and dependent. We also use prepositions with Phrasal Verbs.

1. Prepositions of Time

They explain when something happens.

Prepositions of Time page

2. Prepositions of Place

They describe where something happens or is located. Click on the button below for explanation and exercises.

Prepositions of Place page
infographic showing prepositions of place using an owl, a chair, a table, and a box.

3. Prepositions of Movement and Direction

Prepositions of Movement Page
infographic shows prepositions of movement using an owl, a chair, a table, a bridge, a river, a tunnel, and a box.

4. Dependent Prepositions

Dependent Prepositions Page

These are prepositions that always go together with certain verbs, adjectives, or nouns. Their meaning often can be guessed just from the words themselves. For example, we say “interested in science” (not interested at), “good at football” (not good in), or “angry with someone” (not angry to). With verbs, it’s the same: we say “depend on someone”, “apologize for being late”, and “listen to music.” The preposition doesn’t change, even if the sentence changes. That’s why dependent prepositions are best remembered as fixed combinations.

5. Phrasal Verbs

Phrasal Verbs Page

A phrasal verb is a combination of a verb and a particle (a preposition or adverb) that together create a new meaning, often not guessable from the words alone. For example, “look up” can mean to search for information, not literally “look upwards.” “Take off” means a plane leaves the ground, and “give up” means to stop trying. Phrasal verbs are often idiomatic, and their meaning changes depending on the particle. That’s why they can be confusing: the verb plus preposition or adverb together form a completely new idea.

Exercises on Prepositions

EXERCISE: Which preposition? at, in, on, or by?

Choose the correct answer to fill the gaps.

1 / 10

We went swimming ___ the lake during the summer.

2 / 10

She is sitting ___ the front row of the theater.

3 / 10

He left his phone on the table ____ the couch and forgot about it.

4 / 10

He arrived ___ the office early this morning.

5 / 10

I’ll see you ___ Monday for the meeting.

6 / 10

We traveled ___ car to the countryside last weekend.

7 / 10

They are staying ___ a small hotel near the beach.

8 / 10

The keys are ___ the table near the door.

9 / 10

She was born ___ 1998.

10 / 10

The train will leave ___ 6:45 PM sharp.

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Don’t stop here, check these out: Pronouns | Determiners | Adverbs | Conjunctions