Prepositions show relationships between words — of time, place, and direction. They are also fixed in many verb and adjective collocations. Because they are largely idiomatic, they must be learned in context rather than translated directly from other languages.
3 subtopics — pick one to start practising
Prepositions of Time: At, On, In
Use at for specific times, moments, and some fixed expressions: at 3pm, at midnight, at Christmas, at the weekend (British). Use on for days and dates: on Monday, on 15 March, on Christmas Day. Use in for months, years, seasons, periods of time: in July, in 2023, in winter, in the morning. No preposition before next/last/this/every: "I'll see you next week."
Prepositions of Place: At, On, In
"At" is used for specific points/locations: at the bus stop, at school, at the top. "On" is used for surfaces: on the table, on the wall, and for transport lines: on the bus, on the train. "In" is used for enclosed spaces: in the box, in the room, in a city/country. "In" vs "at" for buildings: "at the hospital" (going there as destination) vs "in the hospital" (inside the building, often as patient/worker).
Verb + Preposition Collocations
Many verbs have fixed prepositions that cannot be predicted from translation. Common ones: depend on, insist on, listen to, look at, look for, wait for, apologise for, believe in, complain about, think about, worry about, dream of, consist of, succeed in, specialise in, congratulate on, apply for, invest in, benefit from.