Prepositions (ICSE Class X)

Cheatsheet Content

### Introduction to Prepositions Prepositions are words that connect a noun, pronoun, or noun phrase to another part of the sentence. They indicate relationships such as direction, time, place, location, spatial relationships, or to introduce an object. ### Types of Prepositions #### 1. Prepositions of Time - **at**: specific time (at 3 o'clock, at noon, at night) - **on**: specific days/dates (on Monday, on 25th December) - **in**: months, seasons, years, periods of time (in January, in summer, in 2023, in the morning) - **before/after**: earlier/later than - **during**: throughout a period of time - **for**: duration (for two hours) - **since**: from a point in time until now (since morning, since 2020) - **by**: no later than (by tomorrow, by 5 PM) - **until/till**: up to a certain point in time ### Prepositions of Place - **at**: specific point, address (at the bus stop, at 24 Park Street) - **in**: enclosed space, large area, city/country (in the room, in India, in the garden) - **on**: surface, street (on the table, on MG Road) - **above/below**: higher/lower than something else - **over/under**: directly above/below, covering/beneath - **near/by**: close to - **between**: two things/people - **among**: three or more things/people - **in front of/behind**: at the front/back - **beside**: next to ### Prepositions of Direction - **to**: movement towards a destination (go to school) - **into**: movement inside something (walk into the room) - **onto**: movement to the surface of something (jump onto the stage) - **from**: origin (come from Delhi) - **through**: movement from one side to the other of an enclosed space (walk through the tunnel) - **across**: movement from one side to the other of a surface (swim across the river) - **along**: movement parallel to a line (walk along the road) - **up/down**: movement to a higher/lower position ### Other Common Prepositions - **of**: possession, origin, content (book of poems, made of wood) - **with**: accompaniment, instrument (go with friends, cut with a knife) - **for**: purpose, reason, benefit (gift for you, famous for its beauty) - **about**: topic, concerning (talk about the weather) - **by**: agent, means (written by him, travel by bus) - **from**: source, origin, cause (receive from, suffer from) ### Phrasal Verbs & Fixed Prepositions Many verbs, adjectives, and nouns are followed by specific prepositions. These are often idiomatic and need to be learned. #### Examples of Fixed Prepositions: - **Accused of**: He was accused **of** theft. - **Afraid of**: She is afraid **of** dogs. - **Agree with** (person) / **to** (proposal) / **on** (point): I agree **with** you. They agreed **to** the terms. We agreed **on** the price. - **Angry with** (person) / **at** (thing/situation): He is angry **with** his brother **at** the delay. - **Anxious about**: She is anxious **about** her exams. - **Apply for**: He applied **for** the job. - **Believe in**: I believe **in** honesty. - **Care for**: She cares **for** her sick mother. - **Complain about**: They complained **about** the noise. - **Depend on**: We depend **on** good weather. - **Die of** (disease) / **from** (other cause): He died **of** malaria. She died **from** her injuries. - **Fond of**: He is fond **of** chocolates. - **Good at**: She is good **at** drawing. - **Interested in**: I am interested **in** history. - **Listen to**: Please listen **to** me. - **Proud of**: I am proud **of** my achievements. - **Responsible for**: Who is responsible **for** this mess? - **Succeed in**: She succeeded **in** her mission. - **Suffering from**: He is suffering **from** fever. - **Wait for**: We waited **for** the bus. - **Worried about**: Don't be worried **about** the results. ### Common Errors - **Omitting necessary prepositions**: "He entered the room" (correct, no 'into' needed after 'entered' for physical entry). But, "He entered **into** a discussion." - **Using redundant prepositions**: "He discussed **about** the matter" (incorrect, 'discussed' doesn't need 'about'). Correct: "He discussed the matter." - **Confusing similar prepositions**: `between` vs `among`, `in` vs `into`, `on` vs `onto`. ### Practice Questions Fill in the blanks with appropriate prepositions: 1. The cat jumped ______ the table. 2. She has been studying ______ three hours. 3. My birthday is ______ 15th August. 4. He lives ______ a small village ______ the mountains. 5. Divide the sweets ______ the five children. 6. The train passed ______ a long tunnel. 7. I prefer coffee ______ tea. 8. He is good ______ mathematics. 9. She is afraid ______ heights. 10. We arrived ______ the airport ______ time. 11. The book was written ______ a famous author. 12. I am interested ______ learning new languages. 13. He complained ______ the poor service. 14. Please wait ______ me ______ the bus stop. 15. The sun rises ______ the east. ### Answers 1. The cat jumped **onto** the table. 2. She has been studying **for** three hours. 3. My birthday is **on** 15th August. 4. He lives **in** a small village **in** the mountains. 5. Divide the sweets **among** the five children. 6. The train passed **through** a long tunnel. 7. I prefer coffee **to** tea. 8. He is good **at** mathematics. 9. She is afraid **of** heights. 10. We arrived **at** the airport **on** time. 11. The book was written **by** a famous author. 12. I am interested **in** learning new languages. 13. He complained **about** the poor service. 14. Please wait **for** me **at** the bus stop. 15. The sun rises **in** the east.