Level One

Lesson 8
prepositions

Prepositions are words that show location, distance, time, relationships, direction, and other things that are related to places, people, and things. 

Words such as In, on, at, for, and to are examples of common prepositions. 

You can take Quiz #8 – Prepositions when you finish the lesson. 

A preposition is the first word in a prepositional phrase.  (Watch the video.) 

a. in / on / at

The prepositions in, on, and at are necessary to know for speaking and writing in English. This old video from the late 2000s provides an overview. The videos that follow this one provide additional examples. 

b. to

To learn about which preposition to use takes a lot of practice. Choices vary based on situation and nearby words. Reading and listening exercises may help you, but videos like the ones you see here will provide you with some of the reasons for why we make particular choices. 

This next video is for the preposition “to.” 

c. at

What is the difference between “I went to the store,” and “I’m at the store”? 

Use “to” for movement and direction.  Use the preposition “at” for locations and times. 

Where do you work? 

What time do you wake up in the morning? 

 

You can answer the questions above with the preposition “at.” 

at

Note: Prepositions can be very confusing for students because there are so many ways in which they can be used. If you are new to English, pay attention to prepositions, but don’t expect immediate understanding. It takes time to learn the differences among these words. 

In Lesson Nine, you will learn how to use the verb “be” in the past tense.