Usage of Prepositions of Time, Place, and Introducing Objects

Since there are almost no flections in the English language, prepositions play an important part in establishing relationships between words in a sentence. They can show the relationships of time, place, purpose, order, direction, introducing objects, and many other notions.

In this article, we discuss the correct use of prepositions of place, time, and introducing objects.

Prepositions of Place

Prepositions of place are quite common in the language. They express the meaning of location - in, on, at, under, inside, etc. They can be divided into those that mean higher, lower location, or at some distance to the mentioned point.
e.g.,

• ✔️ My pen is in the pencil case.
• ✔️ The book is on the table.
• ✔️ These people are at the cinema.
• ✔️ The dog is under the bench.

Those prepositions denoting an object's position higher than other objects include ‘over’ and ‘above.’
e.g.,

• ✔️ Please look at that cloud just above the roof.
• ✔️ There is a picture over the table.

If an object is located lower than a certain point, we use ‘under,’ ‘beneath,’ ‘below,’ and ‘underneath.’
e.g.,

• ✔️ I saw a small kitten under the tree.
• ✔️ A basement is a place in a house whose level is below the ground.

There are prepositions of place that mean the location of an object closer or further from each other. They are: ‘by,’ ‘next to,’ ‘among,’ ‘between,’ ‘near,’ and ‘opposite.’
e.g.,

• ✔️ The supermarket is next to our office.
• ✔️ The clock is between the white statuette and the picture.

Prepositions of Time

We use ‘in,’ ‘at,’ or ‘on’ to speak about a certain point of time. ‘In’ is used with parts of a day, months, and years. ‘On’ refers to days, while ‘at’ is for speaking about hours and minutes.
e.g.,

• ✔️ We went to Turkey in June.
• ✔️ My brother is free on Sunday.
• ✔️ I get up at 6 o’clock every morning.

When we want to emphasize the duration of time, we use ‘for,’ ‘since,’ ‘during,’ ‘within,’ ‘from… until,’ or ‘from… to.’
e.g.,

• ✔️ We have been living here for many years.
• ✔️ I have been busy since morning.
• ✔️ People don’t like to work during the summer.

Prepositions of Introducing Objects

These prepositions are typically used after the verbs and followed by nouns, gerunds, or pronouns, to introduce the objects expressed by them. Let’s look at some most common cases:

• at + object: it is used after the verbs ‘look,’ ‘laugh,’ ‘star,’ ‘shout,’ ‘smile,’ etc.

  Examples:

  ✔️ Don’t laugh at me. I have made a mistake, and what?

  ✔️ That man is staring at you. Do you know him?

  ✔️ I like people who smile at everybody heartily.

• of + object: it is used after such verbs as ‘approve,’ ‘smell,’ ‘die,’ ‘consist,’ and some others.

  Examples:

  ✔️ I cannot approve of your choice.

  ✔️ This article consists of five completely different parts.

  ✔️ You cannot die of this disorder, so don’t worry.

• remind + sb + of + sth.

  Example:

  ✔️ This scene reminds me of my childhood.

• We can use either ‘of’ or ‘about’ after the verbs ‘think’ and ‘dream.’

  Examples:

  ✔️ I dream of buying a big house.

  ✔️ Sue is thinking about quitting her job.

• for + object: it is used after the verbs ‘hope,’ ‘watch,’ ‘wait,’ ‘call,’ ‘wish,’ ‘look,’ and many others.

  Examples:

  ✔️ Pete is looking for his glasses everywhere.

  ✔️ We have been waiting for you for half an hour.

  ✔️ Let’s hope for the best.

• on + object: it is used after the verbs ‘concentrate,’ ‘insist,’ depend,’ and some others.

  Examples:

  ✔️ Everything depends on your decision.

  ✔️ My mother insisted on this choice.

  ✔️ I cannot concentrate on this task right now.

• to + object: it is used after the verbs ‘contribute,’ ‘refer,’ ‘belong,’ ‘lead,’ etc.

  examples:

  ✔️ It can lead to unexpected consequences.

  ✔️ This car belongs to my brother.

  ✔️ All these rules refer to verbs.

• in + object: it is used after the verbs ‘result,’ ‘succeed,’ and some others.

  Example:

  ✔️ Your absence can result in misunderstanding.

  ✔️ I can assure you will succeed in your chosen career.

Many other prepositions can be used in this meaning. So, you need to be very attentive when you use them.

Conclusion

In conclusion, it should be pointed out that prepositions play a vital role in English. So, you need to remember the ways of their use and try to make up the sentences correctly because one preposition often can be used in different ways or mean different things when used with different words.