EASY Grammar Rules For PREPOSITIONS | Common English Grammar Mistakes

Hi there, this is Harry and welcome back to advanced English lessons with Harry where

I try to help you to get a better understanding of the English language. This particular lesson

is all about prepositions. And a lot of you have written to me and contacted me asking

me if I can do a particular lesson on prepositions. Well, here it is, we're not going to cover

all of the prepositions just really impossible, because there are hundreds of them. But I'm

going to cover the key ones where you have difficulties and when I'm giving lessons,

the students that I have indicate, and it's very obvious that they have some problems

with those particular prepositions. So I'll go through the key ones or give you examples

where they are. And as always, you know the drill by now, if you want any additional information,

any additional prepositions covered in future lessons, well then just write to me at www.englishlessonviaskype.com,

and I'll happily include them in a future lesson for you.

Okay, so as I said, this is an advanced English lesson and we're looking in particular at

prepositions. Now, the first part of this might be a little easy for you, those of you

who are considered to be advanced, but perhaps there's no harm to go through it anyway. So

that you can get a little bit of a warm up and a little bit of a revision on it and for

any of you who are intermediate or below or this is exactly the sort of introduction that

you want to prepositions. Now, prepositions are often just very small, short words like

in, at, on, by, for, etc. But they cause lots and lots of problems. When do I use them?

When do I not when do I use in on or act? So hopefully, this will give you some help

some indication and guidance as to when and how to use and correctly. Okay, so we're going

to start off with some light touch. Okay, so the first three prepositions, we're going

to look at are at, on and in. At, on and in. And, here we're going to start with prepositions

about time because it's really, really important if we're talking about days in the week, months

in the year, years in the decade, dates, whatever it might be, then prepositions are used all

the time.

So prepositions of time, the first preposition AT, we use at before exact times, I'll meet

you at six o'clock, and meet you at four o'clock. The train arrives at two o'clock, so it's

all about exact times. So we can use about exact times, special holiday periods, or even

night and the weekend. Okay, so let me give you a few examples. The show starts at four

o'clock, exact time. I usually visit my family at Christmas. Now it's at Christmas time.

So later on, we'll give you a little bit of a different approach. And we're talking about

the actual day, but at Christmas time, I usually visit my family at Christmas time or indeed

at Easter time or at Easter. You shouldn't leave your TV on at night. It's dangerous.

You shouldn't leave your TV on at night. What are you going to do at the weekend? What are

you going to do at the weekend? Now, sometimes in American English, they say, What are you

going to do on the weekend? So you can hear both depending on where they're British English

or American English. Usually we use at what are you going to do at the weekend or indeed

would later on over the weekend. But that means from the beginning say late on a Friday,

right through to Monday morning, over the weekend. But to avoid confusion we will stick

to at the weekend. So when we're talking about prepositions of time with the preposition

AT, we use AT before the exact times. We use AT when we're talking about special holiday

periods. And we talk about... we use AT when we talk about night and the weekend. Okay,

so just give you those examples. Once more. The show starts at four o'clock. I usually

visit my family at Christmas, at Easter. You shouldn't leave your TV on at night. What

are you going to do at the weekend? Okay.

Now, let's look at the preposition ON. Again, we're still talking about prepositions of

time remember, okay, so here we're talking about the preposition ON and we use on before

particular days, or dates. And when we refer to part of a particular day as well, so days

and dates and parts of particular day. So again, let me give you some examples. Sarah's

birthday is on the 15th of April, on the 15th of April. I'll see you, I'll meet you on Saturday.

I have Chinese lessons on Tuesday mornings. The family always comes over on Christmas

Day. Now, remember when we used at Christmas we were talking about at Christmas time here,

we're talking about the particular day, the 25th of December, whether it's a Monday or

Tuesday, whatever, it's on Christmas Day, the family always comes over to me on Christmas

Day. Okay. So on when we're talking about preposition of time, we use on before days

and specific dates. And when we're using referring to particular parts of the day, so it can

be you're on Saturday morning, on Wednesday evening and Friday afternoon. It doesn't matter

what part of the day we're still using that preposition ON. So Sarah's birthday is on

the 15th of April. I'll see you on Saturday. I have Chinese or Spanish lessons on Tuesday

mornings, and the family always comes over to me on Christmas Day. Okay.

So then if we look again, prepositions of time talking about the preposition in, and

when we use in, we're talking about longer periods. Okay, so this could be weeks, months,

years, decades, centuries, it doesn't matter. Once we get beyond days any longer period.

We're using the preposition in. Okay, Julius Caesar, that's a long way back. Julius Caesar

invaded Britain in 55. BC. Okay, so that was Before Christ in 50. In the year 55 BC. My

birthday is in July. When is your birthday? My birthday is in July. I hate having to get

up in winter. Okay, so that's a period, it's a season in winter or spring or summer, I

hate having to get up in winter.

And we can also use in to say how soon something will happen. It would be difficult for me

to do both of those things in three days, I will need a couple of extra days. It would

be difficult for me to do both of those things in three days. I'll call you in a week and

we can discuss it. I'll call you in a week and we can discuss it. The game will end in

10 minutes, the game will end in 10 minutes.

And we can also again use in when we talk about the length of time it will take for

something to to happen. For example, if you're talking about a marathon race, he can run

a marathon in under three hours, he can run a marathon in under two hours, 30 minutes

doesn't matter what the time is. But when we're talking about how long it's going to

take, he can run a marathon in under three hours.

Okay, so that's at, on and in when we're talking about particular periods of time. Okay, so

at, on an in, I've given you the examples and make sure you go through those and practice

them. An easy way to practice was when we talk about birthdays. So if we talk about,

let's see, my birthday is 5th of July, and I was born in, yes, 1956.

So, the day, fifth, the month, July, the year 1956. So I can see I was born on the fifth

day of July, okay, in the year 1956. Okay, or if I wanted to just say I was born in July,

so I use the preposition in July, in 1956. But I'm talking about the date that I say

on I was born on the fifth of July in the year 1956. Or if I knew the time so let's

say it was five minutes after midnight, and I could say I was born at 12:05 on the fifth

of July in 1956. And there you get all of them at, in and on. So you can practice that

with yourself and with your family. Just to make sure you get it accurate. When do you

use at, when do you use in, and when do you use on?

Okay, so let's move on now to prepositions of place. So we've done prepositions of time.

Now we're looking at prepositions of place. So when we use at, we use AT to refer to a

position as a point, okay? For example... Example, there's someone at the door. So that's

the point where they are and that's the position is the door so there's someone at the door.

So it's not someone on the door or in the door. It's someone at the door, there is someone

at the door. Jack is at home. Okay, where is he? He's at home. Okay, so someone at the

door, and Jack is at home. So there are examples of prepositions of place when we're using,

at and as referring to a position as a point that particular place at home or at the door.

Now, just be very careful here we don't use the article "the" after the preposition when

we're talking about home. So it's at home, school - at school, work - at work, university

- at university, college - at college. So it's not at the university, at the home, at

the work. It's always at home, school, work, university and college.

Okay, and if you watch my video that I've previously recorded in relation to the use

of articles, and it'll give you some help, so watch the video about articles that I've

and I give you the link here in the in the top corner, okay, and that will give you some

more information about the use of articles when we're referring to places like schoolwork,

etc. Okay, so that's the preposition of place using at.

Now again, sticking with the preposition of place, let's talk about ON. And we use ON

to refer to a position in relation to a surface or a line. So that's a little bit formal.

So let me give you a couple of examples what that means. Okay, so we live on a very busy

road. So that's about line. We live on a very busy road, not at a very busy road, on a very

busy road. The book is on the table. So that's a surface that book is on the table. Many

people hang a wreath on the door at Christmas. Yeah, so that's again about surface they hang

a wreath on the door at Christmas. The book is on the table, and we live on a very busy

road. So all examples of the preposition of place using the preposition ON.

Okay, so let's switch then to IN. Again, it's still a preposition of place, remember, so

in, we use in to refer to a position in relation to something that could be three dimensional,

okay? Or when something is surrounded on all sides. For example, I live in a country. I

live in a town. I live in a city, I'm sitting in a room. I'm walking in a field. I'm having

a picnic in a forest. Any place with boundaries, we can use that preposition in. So let me

give you some examples of that. I had a great time in Canada. The Eiffel Tower is in Paris.

The kids are playing in the garden. I am sleeping or sitting in my room. So all prepositions

of place using the preposition in. Okay? And we also use prepositions when we're talking

about the context. So I'll just go on to those in a little while, but just make sure you

understand the preposition of time and the preposition of place at relating to, at, on

and in.

So when we're using prepositions, we also use those when we're depending on the context.

For example, we can be in a building or at a building. So the context means what are

you doing... Let's so let's say, if I'm going to the cinema, I could say to you, I'll meet

you in the cinema, which means I'll be inside and you have your ticket. And I'll be sitting

in row X Y, Z, so I'll meet you in the cinema means inside. Or I'll meet you at the cinema

means I'll meet you, outside the cinema, perhaps in the foyer, or on the footpath at the entrance

of the cinema, you're going to be outside on the street. So if I say I'll meet you in

the cinema, it's absolutely perfect to use it but it means inside. If I say I'll meet

you, at the cinema, it usually means I'll be standing at the foyer waiting for you to

get the tickets, or I'll meet you on the footpath out side or on the street outside the entrance

of the cinema. So that's all about context in or at.

And if we're talking about addresses, just be careful how we use in, at and on when we're

talking about addresses. As I said before, we all live in a town or live in a city. It's

not on a town or on a city. Or at a town or at a city we all live in a town or in a city

and we're talking about a particular address, then he lives at that. He lives at number

24 Eglinton road, he lives at number 24 Eglinton road. Now in grammar books, you might say...

see, sorry you might see reference to he lives in Eglinton road where they don't give you

a particular number. I personally say he lives on Eglinton road. So you can use in or on

grammar books usually referred to in and I will use on so you have a choice but he lives

at number 24 Eglinton road, he lives in Eglinton road according to the grammar books or on

Eglinton road and they're both fine. Or if he's in an apartment, then he lives on the

second floor or on the third floor. So you can use a particular context there as exactly

where his apartment is located. So if the apartment block or the house is number 24

Eglinton road, he lives at 24 Eglinton road, on the second floor, okay.

Now, a lot of prepositions are often confused. So I'm going to go through these with you

some of these are a little bit more advanced, but there's no harm in knowing them and learning

them because you'll come across them. And you'll you'll often get confused. And I know

from the students that I've worked with, they do cause confusion. So I'll go through them

slowly. And you might need to go through these ones a couple of times just to make sure you

understand them. Okay, so I'm going to give you some comparisons of prepositions that

do cause confusion. That one that often causes confusion is over and across. So we'll compare

the two over and across. We use over to mean on to the other side of something high. For

example, a wall. He climbed over the wall. So he doesn't climb across the wall, he climbs

over the wall. So if you're using something high, like a wall, or a fence, he climbs over

that particular wall or fence. For example, the prisoner escaped by climbing over the

wall, the prisoner escaped by climbing over the fence. And we use across when we're talking

about something we think of as reasonably flat, not so high or a flat surface, or an

area like the sea or a particular country. I saw her across the room at a party. I saw

her across the room at a party. The show was broadcast across Europe, the show was broadcast

across Europe.

Now, when I mentioned bridge here, you can use both across and over. He went across the

bridge or he drove across the bridge. He ran across the bridge, or he ran over the bridge.

The bus goes over the bridge to get to the other side of the city because reasonably

flat and therefore you can use over or across. But if we're talking something very, very

high wall or a fence then it's always to climb over that particular thing. Okay?

Okay, so some other prepositions where we get confusion and these ones now these always

cause confusion. So again, go over them a couple of times if you don't understand them,

or you need more examples, then just come back and and ask me so we're talking now about

above and below or over and under, above or below, over and under. So we use above or

below when one thing is not directly over or under another okay. So for example, there

are many cities that are located below sea level. So when you look at the map of the

world, there are many cities that are located below sea level, they're not under sea level,

because then they would be underwater, but they are below sea level. So they have to

have special bridges or blockades built on the seashore to prevent the water coming into

the city okay. So, there are many cities that are located below sea level. He saw a man

below whom he did not recognise. So if he was looking down from on a wall or a high

building, he saw a man below whom he did not recognise is not he saw a man under because

then that means he's under something Yeah, okay. So he saw a man below whom he did not

recognise. So, using above and below when one thing is not directly over or under another

thing, okay.

Now I do have a separate lesson to explain below, beneath and underneath. So if you click

up here, you will get the link to that particular lesson.

Okay, let's go back then to over over and under. We use it when one thing covers or

is covered by another. So over and under, we use it when one thing is covered or covers

by another. The cat was hiding under the bed. He wasn't below the bed, okay, he's under

the bed. The cat was hiding under the bed.

Another preposition that gets confused are during and throughout. During and throughout.

We use during to mean sometime within a bigger period of time. Okay, so it could be during

your summer holidays. You met your friends, or you went on a cruise, or you went on a

holiday, or you went to an English course during your summer holidays. Okay, so it wasn't

for the whole period, it was for part of that period, during your summer holidays. We moved

house during our winter break, we moved house during a winter break,. Not over the whole

winter break, but just for a few days or a week, during a winter break. Or a lot of people

go skiing during that winter break. They don't go for the whole of the winter break, but

they go during the winter break for a few days of five or six days. And if we want to

use throughout or all through, so this means that we're talking about something that is

continuous, so it lasts for the full period of time. So for example, it rained throughout

the night. It rained all through the night and means continuously without stopping. Now,

I could say it rained during the night, but it means not for the whole period of the nighttime,

but it rained during the night because when I got up in the morning, and I looked at the

window, there were some puddles on the ground. So that indicated that it had rained during

the night. But if I got up and the rain is lashing down from the heavens, and your partner

says to you, yeah, it was raining throughout the night, all through the night, because

it woke me up lashing against the window. So this would indicate that it was continuous.

So we're talking about during, and throughout. Be very careful during is for part of the

period. And throughout usually means continuous for the whole time.

Okay, other prepositions that get confused until and by. They are not so difficult, but

they do get confused. So when we want to use until, we talk about activities that continue

up to a period of time or up to a particular time. Many people are living with their parents

until they are in their 20s. So they used to go to college, and then they used to move

out, but because of economic situations, now we find that many people are living at home

with their parents until their late 20s. Okay, so it's not throughout the period, but until

the late 20s. And we use by to talk about activities that happen before a particular

time. I'll be definitely home by nine o'clock. So you could say I'd be working until eight

o'clock, but I will definitely be home by nine o'clock. Okay, so I'll be working until

eight. So up to that time, but I'd be definitely home by nine o'clock. Okay, so we use by to

talk about activities that happened before or at a particular time.

And then one more if we use the word except and besides. Except and besides. And usually

when we use except, we're talking about except for something. Okay, so we use except for

when something is not included. It's excluded. It's not included. This store is open every

day, except for Sunday. This store is open every day, except for Sunday. Everyone except

the father had gone to bed around 11:30. Every morning.... Everyone except the father or

the mother had gone to bed around 11:30. And then we use besides when talking about something

in addition to besides in addition to. Besides being a writer, he was also a painter. Besides

being a teacher, he was also a PE instructor. Okay, Claire wasn't free on the night of the

party. Besides, she wasn't even invited. Okay, so she wasn't free or available on the night

of the party. Well, besides, she wasn't even invited. So even if she was free, she wouldn't

have gone okay. So, except or besides.

So they're all prepositions that we can get confused with. So except, besides, untill

or by, during throughout, all through, and then over and under, above and below. Just

to make sure you understand when we use them. And of course, and the very first part of

this when we used in, at, on.

So what I'll do is I'll do another lesson for you a little later with some other prepositions

that will give you some information about other prepositions that we can use in the

exact same way. So try to practice try to put some sentences similar to the examples

that I've given you put them into your own words, practice those and then practice them

when you're speaking to your friends or your colleagues. And if you still have problems,

as I gave you the address at the beginning, write to me and I'll give you some further

examples then.

And if you do like this particular lesson, and please like the video, and if you can

subscribe to the channel because it really really does help.

Okay, so this is Harry, thank you for watching. Thank you for listening. And as always, make

sure you join me for the next lesson.

Transcribed by https://otter.ai