Correct Use of Prepositions

What Are Prepositions?

Prepositions are words that link nouns, pronouns, or phrases to other words within a sentence. They help to express relationships of time, place, direction, and more.

Common prepositions include:

• at
• in
• on
• by
• with
• about
• for
• to

Using Prepositions Correctly

Here are some guidelines to help you use prepositions correctly:

• Time: Use "at" for specific times (e.g., at 3 PM), "on" for days and dates (e.g., on Monday, on July 5th), and "in" for longer periods (e.g., in 2023, in the morning).
• Place: Use "at" for specific locations (e.g., at the bus stop), "in" for enclosed spaces (e.g., in the room), and "on" for surfaces (e.g., on the table).
• Direction: Use "to" when indicating movement towards a destination (e.g., going to school).
• Other Uses: "By" can indicate means (e.g., by car), "with" can indicate accompaniment (e.g., with a friend), and "about" can indicate topics (e.g., talking about science).

Examples

Here are some examples of correct preposition use:

• She arrived at the station at 6 PM.
• The cat is on the roof.
• He lives in Lagos.
• We will meet on Tuesday.
• She traveled by train.
• He is interested in music.