A preposition is a word or group of words used before a noun or noun phrase.
For example:
To show direction, use: to, into, onto:
- I'm going to the store.
- You should come into the house, it's cold outside.
- Walk onto the grass, it's not wet anymore.
To show time, use: in, at, and on:
* Use "in" with parts of the day, months, years, and seasons. For example:
- She reads everyday in the evenings.
- It gets very cold in December.
- My brother is going to graduate from college in 2020.
- It gets really hot in the summer.
* Use "at" with the time of day, noon, night, and midnight. For example:
- Our favorite show starts at nine o'clock.
- Let's have lunch at noon.
- We like to run and exercise at night.
- The dogs sleep at midnight.
* Use "on" with days. For example:
- We play basketball on Fridays.
- They eat pasta for dinner on Tuesdays.
- School starts on Monday.
To refer to extended time, use the prepositions: "since", "for", "by", "during", "within", "from...to", "from...until". For example:
- I've been living in Denver since 2005.
- He'll be in the tournament for 2 weeks.
- She'll finish her homework by 5 o'clock.
- They'll train during the summer for their next basketball season.
- She'll be speaking English within 2 years.
- I'll work from January to June.
- My family is visiting from February until April.