PREPOSITIONS

 A preposition is a word or a group of words that is used before a noun, a pronoun, or a phrase. Prepositions can show direction, time, place, location, spatial relationships, or they can be used to introduce an object.some common prepositions are: "in, on, at, of, to, and with

Most of the time you will find that prepositions have a highly idiomatic usage, but there are some rules that you will find helpful, but it would be better for you to memorize how they function rather than memorizing its individual use.

Prepositions of time

 IN,  AT and ON

Use "in" with parts of the day is you do not mention a specific time, with months of the year, years, and seasons of the year.

e.g.:

• Joan likes to read in the evening.

• Marias birthday is in october.
• My dad was born in July.
• Alekxander was born in 1993
• The weather is really nice in the summer in Guadalajara.

Use "at" with the times of day and with the following words: noon, night, and midnight.

• My dad starts work at 9:00 am

• We usually have a break at noon

• Steve loves going hiking at night.

• My mom says I can go to bed at midnight.

If you want to refer to days of the week, use ON.

• Marks party was on Saturday.

• The tennis match will be on sunday.

If you want to refer to an extended period of time, you may use the pepositions "SINCE", "BY", "FROM", "DURING", "FROM .... TO", "FROM ....UNTIL", "WITH", AND WITHIN".

• My son has lived in Puerto Vallarta since 2019.  (He moved there in 2019 and he still lives there)

• Maria will stay in Mexico city for 1 week. (She will stay there for a week)

• I will be here by 10 o'clock. (I will be here sometime between now and 10 o'clock)
• Many of my friends at school have part time jobs during the summer. (a period of time through the summer)
• My sister will take an online course from July to August. (The beginning and end of a period of time)
• The meeting will be from 10 am until 1 pm. (The beginning and the end of a period of time)
• You may get test results within three week days.

Prepositions of Direction

TO, INTO, and ONTO

When we refer to directions, we use the prepositions, TO, INTO, and ONTO.

• Mr. Smith walks to the convenience store every morning.
• The kids came into the kitchen when we call them.
• You cannot drive onto the grass, you are not allowed to.

Prepositions of Place

when you want to refer to a place, you will use the prepositions "IN", "AT", and "ON".

• All the students are going to meet in the cafeteria. (the point itself)
• My sister said, she was waiting at the corner. (general vicinity)
• I guess, I left my phone on the desk. (surface)

If you want to refer to an object higher than a point, use the prepositions "OVER" and "ABOVE".

If you want to refer to a point lower than a point, use the prespositions "BELOW", "UNDER".

• While we were walking down the plaza, the pigeons were flying over our heads.
• Please get the the cups, they are on the self above the microwave oven.
• Basements are dug below the grown.
• Your pencil is under your desk.

If you want to refer to an object close to a point, you may use ny of the following prepostions; "BY", "NEAR", "NEXT TO", BETWEEN", "AMONG" AND "OPPOSITE".

• The drugstore is by the stationary store.
• My house is near a Japanese restaurant.
• Mario's house is next to the car wash.
• Sam always sits between Steve and Susan
• There is a red apple among all the pears.
• La borra de cafe is opposite my language school.

Prepositions of Location

If you want to refer to a location, you may use the following prepopsitions; "IN", "AT" and "ON"

• My parents have a house in the country.

• They agreed to meet at the shopping mall.

• There is a box of cookies on the fridge.

Prepositions of spatial Realtionships

When refering to spatial relationship you may use the following prepositions: "ABOVE", "ACROSS", "AGAINST", "ALONG", "AMONG", "AROUND", "BEHIND", "BELOW", "BESIDE", "BETWEEN", "FROM", 

• The cafe is across from the language school.

• You can put the ladder against the wall.

• There is a shopping mall around the corner.

• My car is the parking lot, behind Brenda's car.