Chapter 6 · English Grammar

Prepositions

Beginner ⏱ 35–45 minutes 🎓 Grade 6

What you will be able to do

  • Define a preposition and find it in a sentence
  • Use prepositions of place, time and direction correctly
  • Choose between in, on, at for place and time
  • Recognise phrasal prepositions (in front of, because of)
  • Tell a preposition apart from an adverb

1 Quick Introduction

English

A preposition is a small word placed before a noun or pronoun to show its relationship with another word — usually where, when, or in what direction. In "the cat is under the table," under shows where the cat is.

हिन्दी

संबंधसूचक अव्यय (Preposition) एक छोटा शब्द है जो किसी संज्ञा या सर्वनाम से पहले आकर उसका संबंध दूसरे शब्द से जोड़ता है — प्रायः कहाँ, कब या किस दिशा में। "the cat is under the table" में under बताता है कि बिल्ली कहाँ है।

2 A Real-Life Situation

Imagine this

You give directions to a friend:

You: Walk across the road, go past the bank, and my house is between the temple and the park.

Why this form? Across, past, between are prepositions — each one fixes a position or direction. Without them the directions would be meaningless. That is exactly why prepositions matter.

3 The Grammar Rule

Rule & Formula
inonat
Placecities, rooms (in Delhi)surfaces (on the wall)points (at the door)
Timemonths, years (in May)days, dates (on Monday)clock times (at 6 pm)
Preposition + noun/pronoun = prepositional phrase
She sat on the chair in the room at noon.

4 Prepositions of Place, Time & Direction

Place tells where: in, on, at, under, over, above, below, behind, between, among, beside, near.

Time tells when: in, on, at, before, after, during, since, for, by, until.

Direction / movement tells which way: to, into, onto, towards, through, across, along, from, up, down.

The trickiest are in / on / at:

  • at — a point: at the bus stop, at 5 o'clock.
  • on — a surface or a day: on the table, on Sunday.
  • in — an enclosed space or longer period: in the box, in 2025.
Visual — Prepositions of Place, Time & Direction
boxonunderbesidenearPosition words around a box
1
Worked Example
Choose: The meeting is ___ Monday ___ 10 a.m.
Solution

on Monday, at 10 a.m. — 'on' for a day, 'at' for a clock time.

2
Worked Example
Direction word: The boat sailed ___ the river.
Solution

across (or 'along') — it shows the direction of movement.

Key Points

  • Place: in, on, at, under, between, near…
  • Time: in, on, at, before, after, since, for…
  • in = enclosed/long period, on = surface/day, at = point/time

5 Phrasal Prepositions & Preposition vs Adverb

Phrasal prepositions are groups of words acting as one preposition: in front of, because of, instead of, in spite of, according to, due to, by means of.

  • He was late because of the rain.
  • The car is parked in front of the gate.

Preposition vs adverb: the same word can be either. A preposition has a noun/pronoun after it (an object); an adverb stands alone.

  • He went in. → adverb (no object after it)
  • He went in the room. → preposition ('the room' is its object)
1
Worked Example
Preposition or adverb? Please come in.
Solution

Adverb — 'in' has no noun after it, so it modifies the verb 'come'.

2
Worked Example
Complete with a phrasal preposition: The match was cancelled ___ the storm.
Solution

because of (or 'due to') — it shows the reason.

Key Points

  • Phrasal prepositions act as one unit (in front of, because of)
  • A preposition has an object (a noun/pronoun after it)
  • The same word is an adverb when it stands alone

6 Vocabulary Builder

WordMeaningहिन्दी
Relationshiphow things connectसंबंध
Directionthe way of movementदिशा
Phrasalmade of a group of wordsवाक्यांश-रूपी
Object (of prep.)the noun after a prepositionपूर्वसर्ग का कर्म
Positionthe place of somethingस्थिति
✎ Vocabulary Quick Test0 / 1
Q.Which is a preposition of time?
Explanation: 'during' shows time (during the holidays); the others show place or direction.

7 Common Mistakes to Avoid

✗ IncorrectI will meet you in Monday.
✓ CorrectI will meet you on Monday.
Use 'on' with days of the week.
✗ IncorrectShe is good in maths.
✓ CorrectShe is good at maths.
The fixed phrase is 'good at'.
✗ IncorrectHe is married with her.
✓ CorrectHe is married to her.
We say 'married to', not 'married with'.
✗ IncorrectListen (nothing) me.
✓ CorrectListen to me.
The verb 'listen' takes the preposition 'to'.

8 Practice Exercises

Fill in the BlanksLevel 1
Fill in in, on, or at.
  1. The book is ______ the table.
  2. We meet ______ 7 o'clock.
  3. She was born ______ 2012.
  4. The party is ______ Sunday.
  5. He lives ______ Mumbai.
Answer Key
  1. on
  2. at
  3. in
  4. on
  5. in
Fill in the BlanksLevel 2
Fill in a suitable preposition.
  1. The cat jumped ______ the wall. (direction)
  2. She was absent ______ illness. (reason)
  3. The shop is ______ the bank and the café.
  4. He is fond ______ music.
  5. We walked ______ the bridge to the other side.
Answer Key
  1. over / onto
  2. because of / due to
  3. between
  4. of
  5. across / over
Error Detection
  1. I am good in English.
  2. The meeting is in Monday.
  3. She is angry on me.
  4. He arrived to the station late.
Answer Key
  1. I am good at English. (error: in)
  2. The meeting is on Monday. (error: in)
  3. She is angry with me. (error: on)
  4. He arrived at the station late. (error: to)
Sentence Correction
  1. The picture hangs in the wall.
  2. I will call you in the evening at Friday.
  3. He is afraid from dogs.
Answer Key
  1. The picture hangs on the wall.
  2. I will call you on Friday evening.
  3. He is afraid of dogs.
Rearrange the Words
  1. the / under / cat / is / chair / the
  2. of / because / rain / we / the / stayed / home
  3. to / school / walks / he / every day
Answer Key
  1. The cat is under the chair.
  2. We stayed home because of the rain.
  3. He walks to school every day.
Match the Following
Column AColumn B
1. ata. a surface or a day
2. inb. movement to the other side
3. onc. a point in time/place
4. acrossd. an enclosed space
Answer Key
at → a point in time/placein → an enclosed spaceon → a surface or a dayacross → movement to the other side

9 Micro Quiz

✎ Quick Check — 5 questions0 / 5
Q1.Choose: 'The plane flew ___ the clouds.'
Explanation: 'above' shows position higher than the clouds.
Q2.'We met ___ Tuesday.'
Explanation: Use 'on' with days.
Q3.'She is good ___ dancing.'
Explanation: The fixed phrase is 'good at'.
Q4.Preposition or adverb? 'He looked up.'
Explanation: 'up' has no object after it — it is an adverb here.
Q5.Which is a phrasal preposition?
Explanation: 'in spite of' is a group acting as one preposition.

10 Reading Practice

On Sunday morning, Kabir cycled to the lake near his house. He left the bicycle in front of the gate and walked along the path. Because of the cool breeze, he sat under a tree and read until noon. At one o'clock he rode back home.

Comprehension Questions
  1. Find a preposition of time in the passage.
  2. Which phrasal preposition shows a reason?
  3. Find a preposition of direction.
Answer Key
  1. On (Sunday) — also 'until', 'At one o'clock'.
  2. Because of (the cool breeze).
  3. to (the lake) — also 'along the path', 'back home'.

11 Speaking, Writing & Daily Use

Say these aloud
  • The keys are on the table.
  • We will meet at the station at noon.
  • She is good at painting.
  • He sat between his two friends.
  • We stayed indoors because of the rain.
Describe your room in five sentences, using prepositions of place (on, under, beside, between, near).
Example: My bed is near the window. A lamp stands on the desk beside it. My books are under the shelf.

12 Challenge Zone

🔥 Higher-Level Questions — 30 / 3
Q1.Choose the correct prepositions: 'He has been ill ___ Monday, ___ three days now.'
Explanation: 'since' + a point (Monday); 'for' + a duration (three days).
Q2.Identify the error: 'She is superior than him in skill.'
Explanation: 'superior' takes 'to', not 'than'.
Q3.Which sentence uses 'between' correctly?
Explanation: Use 'between' for two, 'among' for more than two.

13 Chapter Mind Map

Mind Map
           PREPOSITIONS
                |
   +------+------+--------+--------+
   |      |               |        |
 PLACE  TIME         DIRECTION  PHRASAL
 in/on/ in/on/        to/into/  in front
 at/under at/since    across/   of, due
 between  for/by      towards   to, instead

14 One-Minute Revision

Remember these

  • A preposition shows the relationship of a noun/pronoun to another word
  • at = point, on = surface/day, in = enclosed/long period
  • Direction: to, into, across, towards, through
  • Phrasal prepositions: in front of, because of, in spite of
  • A preposition has an object; the same word alone is an adverb