Prepositions cheat sheet - eGo Main - The Chicago School of ...

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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