G.20 - Prepositions and prepositional phrases

Prepositions are everywhere. They are part of phrasal verbs and appear before noun phrases or pronouns. They are also frequently used to describe time and place.

In the following sentences, which preposition do you think is needed to correctly complete the sentence?

Lesson by Caroline

Take a look at these example sentences and notice which prepositions follow which adjectives.

"I've always been interested in learning English."
"Because she's scared of flying she doesn't go abroad much."
"This box is full of old coins."

On this page we will review some basic adjective + preposition combinations.

In English we use prepositions with certain verbs and nouns.

Examples:

"I love swimming in summer."

"I am writing my final exam on Thursday."

Complete the sentences and insert prepositions if and where they are needed.

Two sentences are perfect just as they are so be careful! Use "-" when no preposition is needed.

After last year's World Cup in South Africa, Cape Town is becoming a more and more popular destination for English learners. The whole planet got to see what an amazing city it is, and now people really want to check it out for themselves.

Students are attracted to this area because of its culture, nature and climate. Cape Town is a fascinating city that travellers soon fall in love with.

Prepositions - small words that cause English learners big problems!

With so many prepositions to choose from, here are some very common examples we use all the time.

Choose the correct preposition in these ten sentences.

Learning prepositions is not easy! There are so many rules and exceptions to follow. The best option is look at how prepositions are used in full sentences rather than looking at them on their own.

The more time you spend reading, listening and speaking English, the easier it becomes to use prepositions

It is all very well knowing the vocabulary for furniture around the house, but do you know the prepositions that go with them?

In each of the sentences below, I have removed the preposition. Can you remember which one you need to complete the sentence?

Lesson by Caroline

Use these prepositions to complete the 10 World Cup sentences. Some words can be used more than once.

in
behind
in front of
under
through
off
over
by
on

Lesson by Amy at EC Cape Town English school.

Prepositions of Time for you today. Understanding how to use them is important in giving you a good foundation of English. Here are some quick rules to remember.

At

Use at for the time:

"I always wake up at 7am."
"Let's meet at lunchtime for a coffee."