Prepositions "On," "At," and "In"

A preposition is a word that links a noun, pronoun, or noun phrase to some other part of the sentence. Prepositions can be tricky for English learners. There is no definite rule or formula for choosing a preposition. In the beginning stage of learning the language, you should try to identify a preposition when reading or listening in English and recognize its usage. to the office at the desk on the table in an hour about myself A preposition is used to show direction, location, or time, or to introduce an object. Here are a few common prepositions and examples. On Used to express a surface of something: I put an egg on the kitchen table. The paper is on my desk. Used to specify days and dates: The garbage truck comes on Wednesdays. I was born on the 14th day of June in 1988. Used to indicate a device or machine, such as a phone or computer: He is on the phone right now. She has been on the computer since this morning. My favorite movie will be on TV tonight. Used to indicate a part of the body: The stick hit me on my shoulder. He kissed me on my cheek. I wear a ring on my finger. Used to indicate the state of something: Everything in this store is on sale. The building is on fire. At Used to point out specific time: I will meet you at 12 p.m. The bus will stop here at 5:45 p.m. Used to indicate a place: There is a party at the club house. There were hundreds of people at the park. We saw a baseball game at the stadium. Used to indicate an email address: Please email me at abc@defg.com. Used to indicate an activity: He laughed at my acting. I am good at drawing a portrait. In Used for unspecific times during a day, month, season, year: She always reads newspapers in the morning. In the summer, we have a rainy season for three weeks. The new semester will start in March. Used to indicate a location or place: She looked me directly in the eyes. I am currently staying in a hotel. My hometown is Los Angeles, which is in California. Used to indicate a shape, color, or size: This painting is mostly in blue. The students stood in a circle. This jacket comes in four different sizes. Used to express while doing something: In preparing for the final report, we revised the tone three times. A catch phrase needs to be impressive in marketing a product. Used to indicate a belief, opinion, interest, or feeling: I believe in the next life. We are not interested in gambling.