The English language goes far beyond verb To Be, that's right! However, when we advance in our studies and start learning new subjects, it's normal to feel a little lost and afraid. This happens, for example, when the topic is prepositions.

But calm down! This post was created with the intention of helping you understand what a preposition is and what its function is in English. In addition, here you will also learn how they are used and, as a bonus, you will learn about others besides the classic ones. “In”, “On” and “At”.

Let's check it out!

After all, what is a preposition?

Prepositions are terms that have the function of connecting two words – they are to English what connectives are to Portuguese. It is as if they serve as a bridge within a sentence.

In the case of prepositions in English, the objective is to connect adjectives, nouns, pronouns and other elements of the sentence that indicate place or time.

Think about the following sentence: “I'm in English class” (I'm in English class). Here, we can see the preposition “in” and realize that it is properly fulfilling its mission, that is, connecting the pronoun to the rest of the sentence.

If you have questions about pronouns, read our post “Discover what pronouns are in English and how to use them”.

What does it mean to say that a preposition in English is variable?

Having understood what prepositions are, there is another point that you must always keep in mind: in the English language, prepositions are variable. That's right, the meaning can change depending on the context present in the sentence.

So, here's an important tip: don't try to memorize prepositions, because their meaning can change depending on the sentence. Try to understand the meaning of the sentence and then you'll be able to determine which preposition should be used.

Prepositions of place in English: when to use them “in”, “on” or “at”?

When you are talking about places or locations, the prepositions “In“, “On” or “At” are ideal. We have listed the situations in which they fit best, see:

Preposition In

The meaning of “In” covers the following terms: “no”, “na”, “de”, “em” and “dentro de”. Thus, it is used to indicate city, state, country and even rooms. The idea here is that the individual is in a larger place.

For example: "She is living in Brazil” (She is living in Brazil).

What is the correct way to use “in” in one sentence?

CCAA “In” can also be used in the case of information contained somewhere, for example, in newspapers, social networks or television. In addition, this preposition also refers to time. In this case, the indication is about more general periods, such as the parts of the day, the month and the seasons of the year.

For example: “I saw the weather forecast in this morning's paper.” (I saw the weather forecast in the morning paper).

Preposition On

In this case, the meaning is related to: “in”, “on”, “on top of”, “above”, “over” and “in”. However, its use applies to surfaces, objects, lines, parts of the body and streets and avenues.

For example: "She left the flowers on the table” (She left the flowers on the table).

What is the correct way to use “On” in one sentence?

When we are talking about time, the use of the preposition “On” indicates days of the week and specific dates.

For example: "I have an appointment on Tuesday” (I have an appointment on Tuesday).

Preposition At

“At” translates as: “à”, “às”, “em”, “na” and “no”. It is used to indicate specific places, such as your home address or the café you frequent.

For example: "She lives at 361 Ecuador Avenue” (She lives at Avenida Equador, 361).

What is the correct way to use “At” in one sentence?

Already the “At” points out specific situations, such as times, moments, holidays and celebratory periods.

For example: “I arrive at 7:30 every morning.” (I arrive at 7:30 every morning).

What other prepositions are there in English?

As we mentioned before, the English language has a number of other prepositions besides “In”, “On” and “At”. To keep you informed, we have compiled some of them:

• To: for, to, to;
• Until: until;
• With: with;
• Without: without;
• For: by, for, during,
• By: by, until, next to, of;
• About: about;
• Above: above;
• Up: above, upwards;
• Below: below, underneath;
• After: after;
• Before: before;
• Around: around, around;
• Down: down.

By learning more about these prepositions, you can boost your knowledge of the language, improve your repertoire and have greater command of the English language.

Today we understand what prepositions are and what their usefulness is within a sentence, in addition to understanding which contexts they best match and seeing others that can replace and improve your writing or speech.

To top it off, check out our post which addresses the English verb tenses and become even more proficient in the English language.

See you!