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Prepositions Cheat Sheet
There are many prepositions in the English language that present distinct challenges regarding their use in
both written and spoken mediums. Several prepositions can be especially challenging for individuals for
which English is a second language; these often include the prepositions in, at, on, and off. General rules
and common uses of these prepositions can be found below; however, it is important to note that this is
not an exhaustive list, but rather a simple guide to help navigate through the complexities of these
prepositions.
In
Time: use in to denote general and nonspecific times
- I like to have my coffee in the morning.
- He will graduate in the Spring.
- I was born in 1983.
Space: use in with the names of specific land areas (city, county, state, etc.) and when
referring to one’s position/location within large, general areas (building, room, land,
body of water, etc.)
- She lives in Cook County now, but she used to live in California.
- My professor tends to give long lectures in class.
- She stated that she was in the park at the time of the robbery.
Lines: use in when referring to things that are part of a line or linear organization
- The error is in line 12 of the poem.
- I waited in line for 2 hours to get the concert tickets.
- The boys were sitting in the same row of chairs.
Other common uses:
- I am disappointed in you.
- We must do research in order to answer that question.
- She was in a daze (in a state of confusion, in a bad mood, etc.).
- In my opinion, that answer is incorrect.
At
Places: use at to indicate a specific address, direction, or position within a place
- They live at the corner of State St. and Main St.
- She works at the theater down the street.
- It is harder to breathe at the top of the mountain.
- I threw the ball at the tree to see if I could hit it.
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Target: use at when referring to a person or thing that is the target of one’s actions; this can
include aggressive behavior
- Why are you looking at me?
- He smiled at her.
- The mother began to yell at the boy after he threw a coin at her.
Time: use at with specific meeting times or appointments as well as with periods of time near
specific holidays
- Please wake me up at 10:15AM.
- Let’s meet at lunch time.
- I find it hard to work at night.
- Her family will visit at Christmas.
Groups: use at when discussing groups of people or group activities
- We were at a party when a fight broke out.
- I was at the front of the crowd when the movie star arrived.
- She was at a meeting when her phone rang.
Other Common Uses:
- She is good at what she does for a living.
- They are working at becoming healthier people.
On
Surfaces: use on to indicate surface areas or something that is attached
- The cat sat on the table.
- She wrote the note on a sheet of paper.
- The flowers on that bush are beautiful.
- He wears a big watch on his wrist.
Directions and Travel: use on with directions (e.g., left, right) or to mention the method in
which one is traveling to a location
- His house is the third one on the left.
- They are now living on the north side of town.
- She was on the bus before she transferred to the train.
Street and Floor Position: use on when talking about one’s position in relation to a linear
surface (e.g., road, street, river, line) or a floor level
- My family used to live on Princeton Street.
- The restaurant is located on the river downtown.
- There is an empty apartment on the third floor.
Time: use on to talk about certain days or dates
- We will fly to Las Vegas on Monday.
- There is a convention scheduled on June 13 th .
- The stores will be closed on Thanksgiving Day.
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Other common phrases:
- We agreed on a time (or decided on a price, a date, a place, etc.).
- He lives on fries and hamburgers.
- She is on duty tonight.
- Please put on your clothing.
- He tends to rely on me.
Off
Away: use off to indicate that something is located or moving away from something else
- They ran off to catch the train.
- Keep your hands off of my candy.
- She jumped off of the trampoline.
Not on or working: use off when talking about something that has separated from something
else or to indicate that something is not working
- She took off her gloves.
- You need to turn off the lights.
- The secretary has three days off this week.
Near another location: use off to denote that something is located near, but not on, something
else
- Your arrow hit just off of the center of the target.
- I live off of the main county road.
- The resort is located just off of the coastline.
Other common uses:
- I cannot think of the word off the top of my head.
- He stated that he would no longer goof off in class.
References:
Beare, K. (n.d.). Preposition Use – in/at/on – prepositions of place. Retrieved May 21, 2008 from
http://esl.about.com/library/grammar/blgr_prep1.htm
Celce-Murcia, M., & Larsen-Freeman, D. (1999). The grammar book: An ESL/EFL teacher’s course (2 nd ed.).
Heinle & Heinle Publishers.
Demchenko, Y. (1999). Prepositions. Retrieved May 21, 2008 from
http://www.uazone.org/friends/esl4rus/prepositions.html
English Grammar – Prepositions. (n.d.). Retrieved May 21, 2008 from
http://www.perfectyourenglish.com/grammar.at.htm
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