Prepositions

• Four basic prepositions


  • at
  • on
  • in
  • by
• At


  Very specific, you always know where you are exactly
• On


  Used for large vehicles or large ways of travelling, such as buses, trains, planes, and boats
• Boat is a small exception, if it's small enough you can use "in"
• Bicycle is always "on"
• In


  Used for car and taxi, because you own your own car or the taxi belongs to you while you're in it
• By


  Refers to how you got there, not if you're in the vehicle
• At (location)


  Very specific location, like "meet me at my house"
• On (location)


  Large area or surface, like a table or a bus
• In (location)


  Surrounded by walls or something, like being in a room
• By (location)

  Similar to "close" or "near"
• At (time)


  Specific time, like "at 9:15"
• On (time)


  Refers to days, like "on Monday"
• In (time)


  Longer periods of time, like "in September" or "in 1992"
• By (time)


  The end of a specific time, like "I need it done by tonight"
• The lesson is now over
• Go to www.engvid.com to do a quiz and see how well you learned the lesson
• Omnivore. The spores that ate the planet.
• Hi, James from engVid. And my crazy readings. What a what? He's asking me to hurry up. We're almost out of time? Time for what? Oh, to start the lesson.
• Today's lesson's on prepositions of time. You might see a bit of a prepositional phrase where I put two words together; it's not just a preposition. But understand that these prepositions do tell us about time.
• Through


  Going from one space, cross an area, go to another space
• Throughout

  All the way through, for an entire period and after
• Out of


  To be out of time or use up your time
• At, around, at, about


  Approximate, not exact
• During


  A part of a period of something
• Ahead of


  To be early
• Within


  Between now and a length of time
• Between


  After one time, but before another time
• Cheryl and Carly are coming off to work. They should be here, is it between or within 5 or 6 p.m.?
• Cheryl and Carly are coming off to work


  They should be here between 5 or 6 p.m.
• James fell asleep

  During the meeting because he was tired
• The rain went on


  Throughout the night, right up to the early morning
• Josh is on his way home now

  He should arrive around 9 o'clock
• The test was very difficult

  I couldn't answer all of the questions, I ran out of time
• By the time


  Before something happens
• On the dot


  Exactly at a specific time
• Just in time


  The time was almost up, but you finished just before it was too late
• They got there just before the plane took off
• The ambulance will be there


  Ten minutes from now
• The test was over

  Nina wasn't finished, she ran out of time