English Prepositions

A preposition is a word governing, and usually coming in front of, a noun or pronoun and expressing a relation to another word or element, as in:

• She left before breakfast.
• What did you come for?
(For what did you come?)

Prepositions of Place: at, in, on


In general, we use:
• at for a POINT
• in for an ENCLOSED SPACE
• on for a SURFACE

Look at these examples:

• Jane is waiting for you at the bus stop.
• The shop is at the end of the street.
• My plane stopped at Dubai and Hanoi and arrived in Bangkok two hours late.
• When will you arrive at the office?
• Do you work in an office?
• I have a meeting in New York.
• Do you live in Japan?
• Jupiter is in the Solar System.
• The author's name is on the cover of the book.
• There are no prices on this menu.
• You are standing on my foot.
• There was a "no smoking" sign on the wall.
• I live on the 7th floor at 21 Oxford Street in London.

Notice the use of the prepositions of place at, in and on in these standard expressions:

Use IN, ON, AT to complete the sentences

1.You are ______ a wedding.

2. You are _______ a party.

3. You are ______ France.

4. You are ______ a ship.

5. You are _____ a car.

6. You are ______ the kitchen.

7. My father is _____ work.

8. You are _____ the corner of the street.

9. Your mother is _____ the window.

10. You appear _______ television.

11. A horse is _____ the field.

12. You live _____ Main Street.

13. You are sitting ____ the table.

14. You are ______ the photo.

15. London is ______ the Thames River.

Las preposiciones son literales en inglés. Aquí, IN, ON y AT traducen como EN. Sin embargo, no son intercambiables. Hay que emplear IN como dentro-- ON como encima / sobre y AT cuando ninguno de estas dos anteriores explica literalmente la posición de algo. Ejemplo At a wedding (en una boda- sobre o encima de una boda está descartado)