Prepositions Cheat Sheet

Prepositions Cheat Sheet

A preposition shows the relationship between a noun/pronoun and another word in a sentence.

Common prepositions:

in, on, at, by, for, since, from, to, into, onto, with, without, between, among, under, over, through, across, during, before, after, against, beside, near

1. IN, ON, AT — Time

Quick rule

IN → longer period
ON → day/date
AT → exact time

Examples:

• I was born in 2000.
• The exam is on Monday.
• The class starts at 9 AM.

2. IN, ON, AT — Place

In

Used for an enclosed area, city, country, or larger area.

• in Delhi
• in India
• in the room
• in the box

On

Used for a surface.

• on the table
• on the wall
• on the floor

At

Used for a specific point or location.

• at the station
• at the door
• at the bus stop

Quick comparison

IN → area/enclosed space
ON → surface
AT → point/location

3. Since vs For

Since → starting point

• since Monday
• since 2020
• since morning
• since 5 PM

For → duration

• for two hours
• for three days
• for five years
• for a long time

Example:

She has lived here since 2020.

She has lived here for five years.

4. By vs Until

By

Means not later than a particular time.

Finish the work by Monday.

Until/Till

Means up to a particular time.

Wait here until Monday.

Quick rule

BY → deadline
UNTIL → continuation up to a time

5. Between vs Among

Between

Generally used for two people/things or distinct individual relationships.

• between Ram and Shyam
• between the two buildings

Among

Generally used for three or more people/things considered as a group.

• among the students
• among friends

Quick rule

BETWEEN → two / distinct individuals
AMONG → group / more than two

6. Beside vs Besides

Beside

Means next to.

He sat beside me.

Besides

Means in addition to / apart from.

Besides English, she knows Hindi.

7. In vs Into

In

Shows position.

He is in the room.

Into

Shows movement from outside to inside.

He went into the room.

IN → position
INTO → movement

8. On vs Onto

On

Shows position.

The book is on the table.

Onto

Shows movement to a surface.

He climbed onto the roof.

ON → position
ONTO → movement

9. From vs Since

From

Usually identifies a starting point, often with a separate ending point or as part of a broader time/place expression.

The shop is open from 9 AM to 6 PM.

He came from Delhi.

Since

Usually marks the starting point of an action/state that continues up to the present reference point.

He has lived here since 2020.

10. To vs Towards

To

Indicates movement to a specific destination.

She went to Delhi.

Towards

Indicates movement in the direction of something, not necessarily reaching it.

He walked towards the station.

11. Through vs Across

Through

Movement from one side/interior to another within or through something.

We walked through the forest.

Across

Movement from one side to the other over a surface/area.

He walked across the road.

THROUGH → inside/from one end to another
ACROSS → from one side to another

12. Above vs Over

Both can indicate a higher position.

Above

Means at a higher level.

The fan is above my head.

Over

Can mean directly higher than something, covering something, or across it.

The plane flew over the city.

Put a blanket over the child.

13. Below vs Under

Below

At a lower level.

The temperature is below zero.

Under

Directly beneath or covered by something.

The cat is under the table.

14. By vs With

By

Often shows the doer/agent in passive voice or the method of travel.

The book was written by him.

I travelled by train.

With

Often shows the instrument/tool used.

He cut it with a knife.

BY → agent / method
WITH → instrument/tool

15. By vs With in Passive Voice

By

Used to identify who performed the action.

The letter was written by Ravi.

With

Used for the instrument or means.

The letter was written with a pen.

16. During vs For

During

Used with a period/event.

I met him during the meeting.

It rained during the night.

For

Used with a duration.

I waited for two hours.

DURING + event/period
FOR + duration

17. Before vs Ago

Before

Means earlier than a particular time/event.

I had seen him before the meeting.

Ago

Means before the present moment.

I met him two years ago.

18. Before vs In

For future time:

In

Means after a period from now.

I will return in two hours.

Before

Means earlier than a particular event/time.

Finish this before lunch.

19. At Night vs In the Morning

Common expressions:

• at night
• in the morning
• in the afternoon
• in the evening

Examples:

I study in the morning.

He works at night.

20. On Time vs In Time

On time

Means punctually / at the scheduled time.

The train arrived on time.

In time

Means before it is too late.

We reached the station in time to catch the train.

ON TIME → punctual
IN TIME → before the deadline / not too late

21. At the End vs In the End

At the end

Means at the final part of something.

There is a question at the end of the chapter.

In the end

Means finally / eventually.

In the end, he accepted the offer.

22. In Front of vs Behind

In front of

Means ahead of something/someone.

The car is in front of the house.

Behind

Means at the back of something/someone.

The garden is behind the house.

23. Near vs Nearby

Near

Can function as a preposition.

The school is near my house.

Nearby

Usually functions as an adjective/adverb.

There is a shop nearby.

Avoid:

❌ near to me Prefer in standard exam usage: ✅ near me

24. Common Verb + Preposition Combinations

Memorize these combinations:

25. Adjective + Preposition Combinations

26. Noun + Preposition Combinations

27. Common Exam Expressions

Remember these fixed combinations:

good at
weak in
interested in
fond of
afraid of
proud of
different from
similar to
senior to
junior to
superior to
inferior to
responsible for
capable of
depend on
consist of
belong to
listen to
wait for

28. Important: Senior / Junior / Superior / Inferior

Use to, not than.

❌ He is senior than me. ✅ He is senior to me.

❌ This product is superior than that one. ✅ This product is superior to that one.

Common pattern:

senior to
junior to
superior to
inferior to
preferable to

29. Common Preposition Errors

Some constructions can vary by meaning or variety of English, so exam questions should be judged according to the sentence's intended structure.

30. Quick Time Preposition Table

31. Quick Place Preposition Table

32. 30-Second Revision

IN → month/year/area
ON → day/date/surface
AT → exact time/specific point

SINCE → starting point
FOR → duration

BY → deadline/agent
UNTIL → continuation

BETWEEN → two/distinct individuals
AMONG → group

IN → position
INTO → movement inside

ON → position
ONTO → movement to surface

THROUGH → inside/from one end to another
ACROSS → one side to another

BY → agent/method
WITH → instrument

ON TIME → punctual
IN TIME → before it is too late

Quick Exam Checklist

Before choosing a preposition, check:

• [ ] Is it showing time?
• [ ] Is it showing place?
• [ ] Is it showing movement or position?
• [ ] Is it showing duration or starting point?
• [ ] Is it a fixed verb + preposition combination?
• [ ] Is it a fixed adjective + preposition combination?
• [ ] Is it a fixed noun + preposition combination?
• [ ] Is the sentence using by as a deadline or agent?
• [ ] Is the sentence using with for an instrument?
• [ ] Is the correct expression to, than, from, or another preposition?

Quick Tip: For competitive-exam questions, don't rely only on translation from Hindi or another language. Many prepositions are determined by fixed English usage, such as depend on, interested in, good at, senior to, consist of, and listen to.