Grammar: Preposition
Part-1
Prepositions are normally placed before nouns or pronouns but they can be placed after nouns/pronouns in questions, relative and interrogative clauses.
I write a letter with a pen.
What do you write the letter with?
This book is about wild animals.
This is the book I was asking about.
A. At is used:
With particular points on the clock and parts of the day:
at night, at dusk, at ten o'clock, at three, at midnight, at noon, at 9:30, at dawn, etc.
With a comparatively smaller place:
at a hotel, at the bus stop, at the airport, etc.
With the name of festivals/ special celebrations:
at Holi, at Id, at Christmas, at Easter, etc.
With verbs:
look at, laugh at, stare at, etc.
To indicate age:
Priya got married at 40.
Saroj joined school at 15.
He has to retire at 58.
To refer to rate, price, speed, etc.:
He drives his car at 60 km/hr.
Sugar is sold at 80 rupees.
B. In is used:
With month, year, season, century, etc.:
in March, in 2017, in the 21st century, in the Rana regime, etc.
But, at night, at dawn, at noon
With place that is comparatively larger:
in Nepal, in Kathmandu, in Europe, in the Netherlands, in the world
Before period of time:
in ten minutes, in three weeks, in a fortnight, in a century, in five years, etc.
With something on your body as a piece of clothing, a decoration, etc.: in a blue frock, in a red tie, in a black cap, etc.
For making prepositional phrases:
in a hurry in search of, in addition, in spite of, etc.
For forming phrasal verbs:
succeed in, believe in, enlist in, involved in, etc.
C. On is used:
With particular day/date:
on Monday, on the 5th of June, on the 2th century, on the Rana regime, etc.
To describe a position on any surface:
on the ceiling, wrinkles on his face, on the ground, on the wall, etc.
With means of transport:
on a bicycle, on horseback, on a car, etc.
But, in a car, in a jeep
With verbs:
insist on, put on, go on, rely on, live on, etc.
D. By is used:
To mean 'not later than the time mentioned (or 'before):
by 2017, by April, by tomorrow, by then¸ etc.
Usually, after passive verb to show who does the action:
Shakuntal was composed by Devakota.
Nepal was unified by Prithvi Narayan Shah.
To mean 'near' or 'beside:
Niru always sits by me.
You can see the temple by the riverside.
With a means of transport (without a/an or the):
Today we can travel by bus/train/car/plane/boat.
People travel by sea/land/air. (not the sea, etc.)
For showing how or in what way something is done:
The house is heated by gas. May I pay by cheque?
To mean movement past something or place:
The snake entered by the window.
Tourists came by muddy tracks, not by highways.
E. With is used:
To mean ‘having’ or ‘possessing’:
Manorama is a girl with golden hair.
The old man is walking with a stick.
This is a child with blue eyes.
We are happy to do it with pleasure.
To mean what is used to do something:
Manoj wrote an essay with a pen.
Mother feeds her baby with a spoon.
The villager cut wood with an axe.
With some verbs and adjectives:
You should associate with good people.
She filled the pitcher with water.
Why are you angry with us?
We are pleased with your performance.
Are you satisfied with this result?
F. Of is used:
To mean 'belonging to somebody/something':
the leg of the table, the windows of my room, the duty of a policeman, the message of the president the relatives of ours, the gate of the building, etc.
To indicate a unit of mass or quantity:
a slice of bread, a metre of cloth, a bottle of wine
To refer to age:
a gentleman of 70, a dramatist of last centuryWith verbs and adjectives:
accused of, die of, afraid of, lack of, consist of, short of, etc.
G. Off is used:
To mean ‘away from a place’ :
He fell off his bicycle.
The basketball rolled off the court.
To mean 'not functioning':
switch off, get off, take off, put off, etc.
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