Experienced ESL teachers will say there are no rules to using prepositions in English.
Well, that’s not entirely true.
After years of seeing my students struggle with prepositions in, on, and at, I’ve found a brilliant way to teach them that really works.
There are rules, and the rules can be learned.
There’s no reason for beginner ESL students to have to grope around in the dark trying to figure out which preposition to use.
One reason prepositions are challenging is that they don’t translate well between languages. Students often discover that the preposition they would use in their first language isn’t the one English speakers use. If your students are thinking in their native language, they’ll translate most prepositions incorrectly.
Not Why, But When.
When my students are studying prepositions in, on, and at, one of the first questions they ask me is, “Teacher… why?”
Why do we say on Monday, but in May?
I always cringe when I hear this question. Not because I can’t answer it, but because it’s not the question they should be asking.
Instead of why, let’s focus on when.
So that’s what I did.
Grammar books tend to teach prepositions one at a time, in a painful attempt to have students memorize them as they occur.
Nobody has time for that.
Instead, I’ve developed a system of organizing prepositions by topic.
I created a resource and visual chart for teaching prepositions in terms of topic: time, place, transportation, and media. There may be more topics out there, but these four a a great place to start.
Rather than relying on traditional practice where students guess the correct preposition, I test them on the rules of preposition usage by topic.
When you organize prepositions by topic, students begin to see patterns emerge. As a result, choosing and using prepositions gets easier.
Want to know how it works? I’ll tell you. Or you can jump right to the visual chart. You’ll understand what I’m talking about at a glance, and your students will, too.
Time
IN
Use IN for enclosed time periods.
- in December
- in the summer
- in 1997
- in the ’90s
- in the summer, winter, etc.
- in the morning
- in the afternoon
- in the evening
ON
Use ON for specific days, dates, and holidays.
- on Monday
- on weekends
- on January 22
- on my birthday
- on Christmas
- on vacation
AT
Use AT for times of the day.
- at 6:00pm
- at midnight (12 am)
- at lunchtime (12 pm)
- at night (but in the morning, in the afternoon, and in the evening)
Location
IN
Think of IN for enclosed spaces and places with borders, like rooms, towns, cities, counties, states, countries, and continents
- in the kitchen
- in Sydney
- in Australia
- in the south
- in the world
- in the universe
Use IN with geographical locations and bodies of water (if you’re swimming.)
- in the mountains
- in the forest
- in the desert
- in the water
- in the lake
- in the ocean
ON
Use ON for street names, borders, and floors of buildings.
- on 10th Ave.
- on the border
- on the coast
- on the first floor
- on the roof
Use ON for surfaces.
- on the ground
- on the floor
- on the wall
- on the beach (if you’re tanning.)
AT
Use AT for specific locations and places of business.
- at the supermarket
- at the beach
- at the library
- at the zoo
- at the restaurant
- at the mall
- at home
Transportation
For transportation, remember these guidelines:
IN
Use IN for private transportation.
- in a car
- in a truck
- in a taxi
- in an Uber
- in a small boat or kayak
ON
use ON for public transportation.
- on the bus
- on a plane
- on a ship or cruise
- on a train
- on the subway
- on the trolley
Use ON for things that one person can sit or stand on.
- on a bicycle
- on a motorcycle
- on a horse
- on a surfboard
- on a skateboard
AT
Use AT for places where you wait for transport.
- at the bus stop
- at the taxi stand
- at the airport
- at the train station
- at a stop sign
- at an intersection
- at a crosswalk
Media
IN
Use IN for paper media.
- in a book
- in a newspaper
- in a magazine
- in a dictionary
- in a journal
- in the comments
- in a blog post
ON
Use ON for electronic media and technology.
- on the internet
- on tv
- on the radio
- on the phone
- on social media
- on facebook, instagram, WhatsApp, etc.
AT
Use AT or the @ symbol for
- websites
- url’s
- emails
I hope you learned a lot about prepositions from this lesson!
Let me know if it helped you in the comments below.
Don’t forget to like and subscribe for more great English lessons.
Happy speaking!
Elsa
Reblogged this on So, You Think You Can Teach ESL?.
This information is really interesting and helpful 🙂 I speak spanish, so these prepositions are kind of difficult for me. Thank you!
I’m so glad it helped you! I’m learning Spanish, and it’s the same for me- with “para” and “por”. 🙂