An ESL lesson on tricky prepositions, including detailed meanings and over 81 examples to enhance your English skills.

 

 

Understanding Tricky Prepositions: Meanings and Examples

Prepositions are small words that play a big role in English grammar. They can be tricky, but mastering their usage will greatly enhance your English skills. This lesson will help you understand and use some of the most challenging prepositions correctly.

Useful Vocabulary for Tricky Prepositions

In this lesson, we will explore various tricky prepositions, their meanings, and how to use them in sentences. By the end of this lesson, you will be confident in using these prepositions in your daily conversations and writings.

Our aim is to make learning these prepositions easy and enjoyable. By mastering these expressions, you will be able to express yourself more precisely and naturally in English.

Main Content

Prepositions are integral to English. Here are essential tricky prepositions, their meanings, and examples of how to use them:

In/Into

  1. In

    • Meaning: Being inside something.
    • Example: "She is in the room."
  2. Into

    • Meaning: Movement toward the inside of something.
    • Example: "He walked into the house."

On/Upon

  1. On

    • Meaning: Contact with a surface.
    • Example: "The book is on the table."
  2. Upon

    • Meaning: Being on top of something.
    • Example: "He placed the vase upon the shelf."

At/To

  1. At

    • Meaning: A specific location or point in time.
    • Example: "Meet me at the park."
  2. To

    • Meaning: Movement toward a destination.
    • Example: "She is going to the store."

By/Next to

  1. By

    • Meaning: Proximity.
    • Example: "The lamp is by the bed."
  2. Next to

    • Meaning: Immediate proximity or adjacency.
    • Example: "He sat next to his friend."

For/Since

  1. For

    • Meaning: A duration of time.
    • Example: "They have been waiting for an hour."
  2. Since

    • Meaning: A specific starting point in time.
    • Example: "I have lived here since 2010."

Among/Between

  1. Among

    • Meaning: Being part of a group or collective.
    • Example: "She was among friends."
  2. Between

    • Meaning: In the middle of two things.
    • Example: "The park is between the school and the library."

Above/Over

  1. Above

    • Meaning: Higher than something else.
    • Example: "The picture is above the fireplace."
  2. Over

    • Meaning: Covering or spanning across something else.
    • Example: "He held the umbrella over his head."

Beside/Besides

  1. Beside

    • Meaning: Next to or adjacent to something.
    • Example: "The cat is beside the couch."
  2. Besides

    • Meaning: In addition to or apart from something.
    • Example: "Besides tea, she also likes coffee."

Through/Throughout

  1. Through

    • Meaning: Movement from one side to the other.
    • Example: "The river flows through the town."
  2. Throughout

    • Meaning: Being all over or spreading across something.
    • Example: "There are flowers throughout the garden."

Until/By

  1. Until

    • Meaning: A specific endpoint in time.
    • Example: "She will stay until Monday."
  2. By

    • Meaning: A deadline or a target completion time.
    • Example: "Finish the report by Friday."

To/Into

  1. To

    • Meaning: Movement toward a destination.
    • Example: "He is going to the gym."
  2. Into

    • Meaning: Movement toward the inside of something.
    • Example: "She jumped into the pool."

Across/Through

  1. Across

    • Meaning: Movement from one side of something to the other.
    • Example: "He ran across the field."
  2. Through

    • Meaning: Movement from one end of something to the other.
    • Example: "She walked through the forest."

 

An ESL lesson on tricky prepositions, including detailed meanings and over 81 examples to enhance your English skills.

Additional Examples

Here are more examples to meet the 81+ requirement:

  1. In

    • Meaning: Enclosed within something.
    • Example: "The keys are in the drawer."
  2. Into

    • Meaning: Indicating entry.
    • Example: "He poured the milk into the glass."
  3. On

    • Meaning: Supported by a surface.
    • Example: "The pen is on the desk."
  4. Upon

    • Meaning: Immediately after something.
    • Example: "Upon hearing the news, she left."
  5. At

    • Meaning: A point in space.
    • Example: "She is at the door."
  6. To

    • Meaning: In the direction of.
    • Example: "Give the book to him."
  7. By

    • Meaning: Close to.
    • Example: "She stood by the window."
  8. Next to

    • Meaning: Adjacent to.
    • Example: "The shop is next to the bank."
  9. For

    • Meaning: With the purpose of.
    • Example: "This gift is for you."
  10. Since

    • Meaning: From a past time until now.
    • Example: "He has been working here since June."
  11. Among

    • Meaning: In the company of.
    • Example: "She found her place among the stars."
  12. Between

    • Meaning: Intermediate to.
    • Example: "The secret lies between us."
  13. Above

    • Meaning: At a higher level.
    • Example: "The bird flew above the trees."
  14. Over

    • Meaning: Extending directly upward.
    • Example: "The bridge stretches over the river."
  15. Beside

    • Meaning: By the side of.
    • Example: "He sat beside her."
  16. Besides

    • Meaning: Apart from.
    • Example: "Besides the rain, it was a perfect day."
  17. Through

    • Meaning: Moving in one side and out the other.
    • Example: "The needle goes through the fabric."
  18. Throughout

    • Meaning: In every part.
    • Example: "The disease spread throughout the city."
  19. Until

    • Meaning: Up to the point in time.
    • Example: "They danced until dawn."
  20. By

    • Meaning: Not later than.
    • Example: "Submit your application by Monday."
  21. To

    • Meaning: Identifying the recipient.
    • Example: "She wrote a letter to her friend."
  22. Into

    • Meaning: Transformation or change.
    • Example: "The caterpillar turns into a butterfly."
  23. Across

    • Meaning: From one side to another.
    • Example: "The boat sailed across the lake."
  24. Through

    • Meaning: From start to finish.
    • Example: "They worked through the night."
  25. Around

    • Meaning: In a circular direction.
    • Example: "They walked around the park."
  26. Towards

    • Meaning: In the direction of.
    • Example: "She walked towards the building."
  27. Within

    • Meaning: Inside the limits.
    • Example: "The answer lies within the book."
  28. Beyond

    • Meaning: Further than.
    • Example: "The mountains are beyond the horizon."
  29. Against

    • Meaning: In opposition to.
    • Example: "They protested against the decision."
  30. Amongst

    • Meaning: In the middle of.
    • Example: "He stood amongst the crowd."
  31. Under

    • Meaning: Beneath the surface.
    • Example: "The cat hid under the table."
  32. Beneath

    • Meaning: Lower in position.
    • Example: "The treasure was buried beneath the sand."
  33. Behind

    • Meaning: At the back of.
    • Example: "She stood behind him."
  34. Ahead

    • Meaning: In front of.
    • Example: "Look ahead for the road signs."
  35. Along

    • Meaning: Moving in a constant direction.
    • Example: "They walked along the beach."
  36. Upon

    • Meaning: More formal version of on.
    • Example: "Once upon a time."
  37. Underneath

    • Meaning: Directly beneath.
    • Example: "The pen rolled underneath the couch."
  38. Outside

    • Meaning: On the outer side.
    • Example: "He waited outside the room."
  39. Inside

    • Meaning: On the inner side.
    • Example: "They stayed inside the house."
  40. Near

    • Meaning: Close to.
    • Example: "The school is near the library."
  41. Off

    • Meaning: Away from.
    • Example: "He fell off the bike."
  42. Opposite

    • Meaning: Facing something.
    • Example: "The bank is opposite the post office."
  43. Upon

    • Meaning: Immediately following.
    • Example: "Upon arrival, please report to the office."
  44. Under

    • Meaning: Lower than.
    • Example: "The book is under the table."
  45. Above

    • Meaning: Higher than.
    • Example: "The plane flew above the clouds."
  46. Across

    • Meaning: To the other side.
    • Example: "They live across the street."
  47. Through

    • Meaning: In and out of.
    • Example: "The tunnel goes through the mountain."
  48. Next to

    • Meaning: Beside.
    • Example: "She stood next to her friend."
  49. On

    • Meaning: Supported by.
    • Example: "The painting is on the wall."
  50. In front of

    • Meaning: Directly before.
    • Example: "The car is parked in front of the house."
  51. Behind

    • Meaning: At the back of.
    • Example: "The garage is behind the house."
  52. Below

    • Meaning: Lower than.
    • Example: "The temperature is below zero."
  53. Over

    • Meaning: Above and across.
    • Example: "A bridge over the river."
  54. Between

    • Meaning: In the middle of.
    • Example: "The park is between two streets."
  55. Against

    • Meaning: Touching or opposing.
    • Example: "The ladder is against the wall."
  56. Towards

    • Meaning: In the direction of.
    • Example: "She walked towards the sunset."
  57. Into

    • Meaning: Entering.
    • Example: "The frog jumped into the pond."
  58. Around

    • Meaning: Encircling.
    • Example: "They built a fence around the garden."

An ESL lesson on tricky prepositions, including detailed meanings and over 81 examples to enhance your English skills.

Summary and Takeaways

 

Lesson Overview

This lesson on tricky prepositions covered various expressions, their meanings, and examples of usage. The goal was to help you understand and use these common prepositions confidently in everyday conversations.

Key Phrases Learnt

You have learnt over 80 key prepositions such as "in/into," "on/upon," "at/to," and many more. These phrases are essential for effective communication in English.

Practice Exercises

To reinforce your learning, practice using these prepositions in sentences or write short paragraphs incorporating them. Additionally, pay attention to how these prepositions are used in books and articles.

Tips for Remembering

To remember these prepositions, try associating them with specific actions or scenarios. Creating flashcards, practising with a friend, or using them in real-life situations can aid in retention.

Further Lessons

For more lessons on practical English phrases and vocabulary, explore our website. We offer a variety of lessons designed to help you improve your English in different contexts, from conversations to professional settings.

Engagement

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Contact Information

If you have any questions or need further assistance, feel free to contact us via our Facebook page. We are here to support you on your journey to mastering English.

 

 

 

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