How to Learn and Remember Prepositions in English | Go Natural English

"Method to Remember Prepositions in English"

Gabby: Hey there! How are you doing? I'm Gabby Wallace and this is Go Natural English. Thanks

so much for watching on YouTube and for listening to the podcast on iTunes and on Stitcher.

Make sure to subscribe on YouTube and on iTunes, so you'll never miss one of the free English

tips three times a week now. In this English tip, this is going to help

you a lot with prepositions. We're going to take a look at cheat sheet or a chart for

remembering how to use prepositions. And it's not just a cheat sheet but I'm going to share

with you my methodology for learning language and remembering really tricky, difficult things

like prepositions in English. So, the most important point to remember, or what's going

to help you remember is to connect ideas. Connection.

Connection is the most important thing, because in our brains we know a lot of things, right?

You're a smart person. You know a lot of things, right? Now, in order to learn new things or

how to do new things, skills such as speaking English fluently, we need to make new pathways

in our brain from the old things that we know to the new things or the new skills, new ways

of doing things like speaking a language. So, how do we make those pathways? How do

we make it easier for our brains to process this new information and to do the new skills?

We have to connect. Connect the old and new. How do we connect? Well, I'm going to show

you some examples about how I would connect prepositions. Let's say it's new information

for me. Let's pretend I'm just learning prepositions, with something I already know.

So, our connection could be an example, it could be connecting similar ideas or sounds

or words that will remind you. Something that you can bring up in your mind later on. A

connection can also be related to a person or an experience or an emotion.

And so, that's one of the reasons why I recommend to practice English with a real person. I

prefer online and I actually want to recommend that you try a two for one lesson at iTalki.

My friends are giving a special offer, so that you can try practicing and connecting

with a person. Not just a person but a native English speaking teacher whose qualified to

teach. And you can claim your free lesson after you pay for your first one at gonaturalenglish.com/italki.

That's I-T-A-L-K-I. So, I want you to know where you can do that,

because I recommend to connect with a real person and use the language. I want you to

connect the language with the use of the language. And to remember how to use the language through

your relationships with your teacher, with your friends, with your colleagues. That's

how the language comes alive and how you're going to become fluent. But let me stop talking

about my method and let's talk about the prepositions. So, we have "at", "on" and "in". And we have

place and time. So, these are prepositions that we use to talk about both place and time.

So, for example, let's start with place and "at". "I'm at the bus station." So, how do

I connect this? Well, A-T, at. AT reminds of a city in the United States at Atlanta.

So, I might think I'm at the Atlanta bus station. So, next time I think about what preposition

should I use if I'm saying that "I'm _____ bus station." I'm "in", "on", "at"? Ah! Atlanta.

I'm at the bus station. So, this is how we're making new pathways with your brain.

Now, my example, "Atlanta", might not work for you. Because if you're not familiar with

the city Atlanta, it's new information. So, I want you to connect "at". "I'm at the bus

station." "I'm at the train station." Maybe there's a city that you know that is ... has

AT in it or there' a whole another idea that you want to connect this with.

So, let's look at "on". So, "place". "I'm on the platform." "I'm on the train platform."

For example. "I'm on the corner of Broadway and Main Streets." So, "on" is when you're

on a surface, right? "On" is also something we can connect with an idea like, let's see,

I'm on ... What would start with on? Ontario is a place that starts with on, right? O-N.

Ontario, Canada. So, if I'm on the platform to take the train to Ontario, I'll remember

I'm not in the platform. I'm not at the platform. I'm on the platform to take the train to Ontario.

So, that's just an example about how my brain works and how I remember things. But I think

it will work for you too if you take a minute to connect the preposition with an example

in your mind. "In". So, place. You can use "in" to talk

about when you're inside a place. So, "I'm in the station." "I'm in the bus station."

"I'm in the bus station in India." So, India, I-N, "in". So, I think, okay. "In the bus

station in India." So, I'm inside the place. Now, "time". "At", "on", "in". "I'll meet

you at the bus station." That could be right outside the bus station or it could be in

the bus station. We're not sure. But "at" is a point on the map. So, "I'll meet you

at the bus station at 3:00 p.m." So, at a time. Okay? A specific time, 3:00 p.m.

"On time". Well, "on time" is actually an expression in itself. "I'm on time, I'm not

late." Something like that. Or "I'm on my way." Means I'm going to a place. But for

example, "on a day" like on Monday. I'm going to Ontario on... Let's see, a specific day

like. "On the 10th of March, I'm going to be on the train platform because I'm going

to Ontario." Alright. And "in", so, duration of time. Like, "In

five minutes, I'll call you... Or "In a month, I'm going to travel to India." Okay. Just

an example. Just to connect the ideas. So, "in" is for duration, "on" is for a day

or ... Sorry. "In" can also be for a month. Like, "In March, I'm travelling to India."

"On" is for a day and "at" is for a specific time. And again, place, at a point like at

the station, at the airport, at the school, at work. "On" is for a surface. On the corner,

on the street, on the platform. And "in" is for when you enter a place, like, "In the

station." Like, think of a box and you open the top of the box and you put something inside.

So, "You're in the station." "I'm in the car." "I'm in the store." So, in a place. Alright.

So, I hope that this is helpful for you to get a quick overview of these prepositions.

And I really recommend that after watching this video actually or listening to the podcast,

that you watch or listen again and try to come up with your own connections that will

help you to remember the prepositions. And then once you do that, I want you to try scheduling

an online practice session and take advantage of the offer for a two for one lesson from

iTalki. Again, at gonaturalenglish.com/italki. I-T-A-L-K-I.

Thanks so much for watching. Don't forget to subscribe on YouTube and on iTunes. And

I'll see you soon in the next English tip, "How to speak English fluently."

Alright. Thanks so much for joining me at Go Natural English and I'll see you soon.

Bye for now. ************************************************************************

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Go Natural English Your Notes: Gabby Wallace, M.Ed TESOL

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