Use of some prepositions

“Functional English”
ENG-101
Lecture 14
“Use of Prepositions”
By: Tariq Amin
Lecturer, Dept of English,
KUST
Course: Functional English ENG-101 - Instructor: Tariq Amin, Lecturer, Dept of English, KUST - Email: tariq.ktk.733@gmail.com

Outline
• from/since/for
• at/on /by
• above/over
• in/into
• underneath/beneath/below
Topic: Use of Prepositions

From/Since/For
The word “from” is used to show the starting point of an action.
For example;
i. The interview will start from 9 am tomorrow.
ii. On Sundays, the restaurant is open from 2 pm.

From/Since/For
The word since is used to present the starting time of an action that continues in the present till this
date.
For example:
i. Zahid has been teaching English since 2015.
The above-mentioned sentence conveys that M. Zahid started teaching quantum physics in 1995, and
he continues to do so in the present time.

From/Since/For
Difference between From and Since
With the usage of since, present perfect or present perfect continuous tense verbs are used.
This is not the case with the usage of from.
• Since is used to present the starting point of an action that continues in the present and takes the
usage of present perfect or present perfect continuous tense verbs.
• From is used to present the starting point of an action.

From/Since/For
For is used to show an amount of time.
• I'm just going to bed for an hour
We use ‘for’ when we are talking about or measuring a duration of time
We most often use the present perfect tense with ‘for’ as in this example:
• I have known how to speak English for a long time.
Here we are talking about something that started in the past and continues to the present.
FOR is used to show a period of time SINCE is used to show point in time

At/On/By
On:
To show the surface
For example:
• The book is on the table.
• The paper is on my desk.
To show dates and days
For example:
• He will come on Wednesday. (Day)
• They met me on Sunday. (Day)
• He was born on 26th January, 1999. (Date)
Note: Use in with years and months and on with days and dates.

At/On/By
On:
To show device or machine (Calculator, laptop, cell phone)
For example:
• He is on the phone.
• The show will be telecasted on television.
• She has been on the computer.
• He is solving the sum on calculator.

At/On/By
Difference between on and onto Onto (combination of on and to)
It is used when you see something in movement and it occupies a particular place/surface.
When something moves to a particular place and occupies it.
• The cat jumped onto the table.
• Move the books onto the shelf.
• She climbed onto the roof.
• He stepped down from the train onto the platform.

At/On/By
Difference between on and onto Onto (combination of on and to)
If something is already sitting on a particular surface, then we use on.
• The book is on the table.
• The pages are on the desk.

At/On/By
At:
is used to talk about specific times.
• I will meet you at 6 O’clock.
• I go to school at 7 O’clock.
is used to show general location. (use in for specific location)
• They are at the airport.
• I am at the hotel or conference.

At/On/By
By:
As a preposition of time, “by” means before a specific time.
“By” shows a time limit for something to happen.
It shows an event must happen before a specific time is reached.
• Please send me the report by Tuesday.
• Jane would like to lose 3 kg by June.
• Please return these books by Friday.

At/On/By
By:
By is used to mean next to/near/beside something. It gives us detail about the location of
something.
• I am waiting by the car.
• Put your bag by the door and sit down.

Above/Over
They show that one thing is in a higher position than another.
• The mirror is above the sink.
• The mirror is over the sink.
However we use above (and not over) for things that are at an upper or higher level.
• I live in the house above the village.
• I live in the house over the village.

Above/Over
We use above when there is no contact between the things referred to.
We use over when one thing touches or cover another.
For example:
• They put a blanket over her. (means the blanket touches the lady). Whereas,
• “They put a blanket above her” means the blanket does not touch the lady and is placed above
her.

Above/Over
Over implies movement from one location or position to another.
For example:
• The helicopter flew over the mountains.
Whereas above implies one location and no movements.
For example:
• The helicopter was hovering above the building. (it was not moving and was in one position.)

Above/Over
We use over (and not above) with numbers and time which means “more than”.
• I got over/above 50K likes on my YouTube video.
• He has been waiting for over an hour.
We use above (and not over) more figuratively to mean “better than”.
• His work is above average.
• He thought he was above the law.

In/into
We use in to talk about where something is in relation to a larger area around it:
• She is in her room.
• I have left my keys in the car.
We use into to talk about the movement of something, usually with a verb that expresses movement
(e.g. go, come). It shows where something is or was going.
• Aleena has gone into the house.
• Amir came into the room.

Underneath/Beneath/Below
The words “under,” “below,” “beneath” and “underneath” can all mean “in a lower place or
position and sometimes covered by something else.”
“Under” is used when we talk about a lower physical position.
• We sat under the stars and listened to the night sounds.
• Keeping the boxes under the bed helps to save space.

“Underneath” is often used to say that something is under and covered by something else, so you
could use it for the boxes example.
• This jacket is too small for me to wear a jumper underneath.
• He always seems so cold, but I know he is soft-hearted underneath.

“Beneath” differs here only in that it is more formal and less common in spoken English.
For example:
• When I arrived, my daughter was sleeping like a log beneath her blanket.
• My cat always hides beneath the sofa when I have visitors.

Below is preferred when something is in a lower position, but in the same building, hill, part of
the body etc. as another thing.
For example:
• Someone was having a party in the flat below.
• A gunshot wound below the left shoulder

Thanks

Use of some prepositions

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