An overview of English prepositions

1. Prepositions

2. what is a preposition?

3. think about the name:

4. preposition

5. pre… position

6. pre… position
a placebefore

7. pre… position
a placebefore
I go to the cinema.

8. pre… position
a placebefore
I go to the cinema.

9. pre… position
a placebefore
I go to the cinema.

10. the preposition
describes the
relationship
between the verb
and the place
I go to the cinema.

11. I go
to
into
out of
past
behind
etc.
the cinema.

12. ?preposition of movement
or
adverb of direction

13. He goes into the office.
He goes in.

14. He goes into the office.
He goes in.
preposition
adverb

15. He goes out of the office.
He goes out.

16. He goes out of the office.
He goes out.
preposition
adverb
adverb

17. how to study prepositions

18. the smaller the word
the less it translates

19. with prepositions
(and articles)
DON’T translate

20. learn the rules for:
- prepositions of time
- prepositions of place
- prepositions of movement

21. BUT memorise:
- dependant prepositions
- phrasal verbs
- common errors

22. basic prepositions of time

23. exact time at
3 o’clock
midnight
the moment
days and
dates
on
Monday
4th July
my birthday
Christmas day
periods in
March
summer
1997
the ’60s
the morning / afternoon / evening
exceptions at
weekends / the weekend
Christmas / Easter
night

24. I arrived __ 8 pm.
What did you do __ Easter?
__ summer they go to the sea.
We saw him __ Thursday.
Did you see her __ last week?
It was __ the morning.
They study __ night.
We finished __ the same time.

25. prepositions of place and
movement

26. verbs preposition + home
place
be / stay /
work
at / in be at home
starting and
stopping
leave - leave - home
arrive at / in / on arrive - home
movement
go / drive /
walk
to go - home

27. We went __ home.
She walked __ work.
The bus left __ the station.
She arrived __ Rome.
We stayed __ a hotel.
When do they arrive __ Italy?
They came back __ home.
Did you stay __ home?

28. on for technology
&
in for paper

29. on the phone
on a computer
on the radio
on the TV
on an iPod

30. in a book
in a magazine
in the (news)paper
BUT
on the page

31. dependent prepositions
after verbs

32. depend on
listen to
wait for
increase / decrease by

33. dependent prepositions
after adjectives

34. interested in
good / bad at
afraid of
angry with
angry about
fed up with
happy with
married to
similar to
same as

35. nice / kind / rude of sb.
(be) nice / kind / horrible to sb.
eg.
It was nice of him to give you a lift.
He was horrible to his wife.

36. sorry about sth.
sorry for doing sth.
eg.
Sorry about the noise last night.
I’m sorry for not phoning you.
NB. Sorry I’m late.

37. dependent prepositions
after nouns

38. opinion of
increase / decrease in
possibility of

39. phrasal verbs

40. look at
look for
look after

41. get to
get into / out of
get onto / off

42. get on with sb.
get sb. down
get over sth./sb.
get together
check the meaning of these verbs in
the OALD or Grammar Reference

43. give sth. away
give sth. back
give in
give sth. out
give sth. up
give up
check the meaning of these verbs in
the OALD or Grammar Reference

44. !no preposition in Italian

45. listen to – ascoltare
look at – guardare
look for – cercare
search for – cercare
wait for – aspettare

46. !no preposition in English

47. ask – chiedere a
answer – rispondere a
call / phone etc. – telefonare a

48. !some common errors

49. ask to sb.
married with sb.
pay sth.
on the newspaper
listen sth.
good in sth.
sorry for sth.
increase in sth.

50. exercise

51. find and correct the errors

52. He listens music in MTV.
I paid a beer to him into the bar.
She got married with an Indian on ’64.
The article on the paper was from a
leading journalist.
We went at her home in Monday.
Sorry for my late on the morning.
I answer to the phone on weekends.

53. He listens _ music in MTV.
I paid _ a beer to him into the bar.
She got married with an Indian on ’64.
The article on the paper was from a
leading journalist.
We went at her home in Monday.
Sorry for my late on the morning.
I answer to the phone on weekends.

54. He listens to music in MTV.
I paid for a beer for him at/in the bar.
She got married to an Indian in ’64.
The article in the paper was by a leading
journalist.
We went to hers on Monday.
Sorry I was late in the morning.
I answer _ the phone at weekends.

55. translating

56. fino a

57. until [time]
up to [number]
as far as [distance]

58. da

59. from [origin; starting point]
by [passive]
for / since [in Present Perfect]

60. at / to mine [= my house]
at / to Bob’s [= Bob’s house]
at / to the Chemist’s
[= the Chemist’s shop]

61. homework

62. Module 6, parts 12, 13 & 16

63. www.davidnicholson.it