Prepositions

The point

A preposition shows place or time: in, on, at, under. In a city or a month. On a day or a surface. At a clock time.

Form and use

A preposition comes before a noun or a pronoun and links it to the rest of the line. The noun after it is the object of the preposition: on the desk, for her. Use an object pronoun there: for me, with him. For I is wrong. The preposition and its noun stay together.

These prepositions mark place. in on at under next to between behind in front of In means inside a space, or in a city or country: in the box, in Seoul. On means on a surface: on the desk, on the wall. At marks a point: at the door, at the station. Under means lower than something: under the chair. Next to means beside: next to the window. Between sits in the gap that separates two things: between the bank and the park. Behind means at the back: behind the door. In front of means at the face of something: in front of the school.

These prepositions mark time. in on at for since from until In goes with months, years, seasons, and parts of the day: in May, in 2020, in the morning. On goes with days and dates: on Monday, on 3 May. At goes with clock times and a few fixed points: at six, at noon, at night. For gives a length: for two hours. Since gives the start of a period still going: since Monday. From marks a start and until marks the end: from nine until noon. Say on Monday morning, not in Monday.

These prepositions mark movement. to into onto from across To moves toward a person or place: go to the office, give it to her. Into moves to the inside: walk into the room. Onto moves onto a surface: climb onto the roof. From is the starting point: a train from Seoul. Across goes from one side to the other: walk across the bridge. Go needs to before a place noun. She went the office is wrong. She went to the office is right. Home is the exception: She went home.

Don't translate it like this

A day of the week takes on.

Short examples