Prepositions — Study Notes for HP TET
Overview
Prepositions are small but crucial words that establish relationships between nouns, pronouns, and other elements in a sentence. They typically indicate location, direction, time, or manner. Despite being a relatively short topic, prepositions carry significant weight in HP TET Language II, appearing in fill-in-the-blank questions, error-spotting items, and sentence-correction tasks.
Mastery of prepositions requires understanding their contextual usage rather than rote memorisation. Many preposition errors stem from direct translation from Hindi, where postpositions work differently. For exam success, focus on the most frequently tested prepositions and the common collocations (verb + preposition, adjective + preposition combinations) that appear repeatedly in competitive exams.
Key Concepts
- Definition: A preposition is a word placed before a noun or pronoun to show its relationship with another word in the sentence. Example: The book is on the table.
- Object of Preposition: The noun or pronoun following a preposition is called its object. Prepositions always take the objective case (him, her, them — not he, she, they).
- Three Main Categories: Prepositions primarily indicate place/position (in, on, at, under), time (at, on, in, during), or direction/movement (to, into, towards, through).
- Prepositional Phrases: A preposition + its object + any modifiers form a prepositional phrase that functions as an adjective or adverb. Example: The girl with red hair is my sister.
- Fixed Prepositions: Many verbs, adjectives, and nouns require specific prepositions. These collocations must be memorised as they rarely follow logical patterns.
- No Preposition Needed: Some verbs (discuss, enter, attack, resemble, accompany) do not take prepositions, though students often incorrectly add them.
- Compound Prepositions: Phrases functioning as single prepositions — in front of, because of, in spite of, on account of, with regard to.
Key Facts — Common Prepositions and Their Usage
Time Prepositions
| Preposition | Usage | Example |
|---|---|---|
| At | Specific time, festivals | at 5 o'clock, at Diwali |
| On | Days, dates | on Monday, on 15th August |
| In | Months, years, seasons, parts of day | in January, in 2024, in the morning |
| By | Deadline | Submit by Friday |
| For | Duration | for three hours |
| Since | Starting point (with perfect tenses) | since 2010 |
| During | Throughout a period | during the vacation |
Place Prepositions
| Preposition | Usage | Example |
|---|---|---|
| At | Specific point | at the bus stop, at home |
| In | Enclosed space, cities, countries | in the room, in Shimla, in India |
| On | Surface | on the wall, on the floor |
| Between | Two items | between the two hills |
| Among | More than two | among the students |
| Above/Over | Higher position | above the clouds |
| Below/Under | Lower position | under the table |
Common Verb + Preposition Collocations
- Agree with (a person), agree to (a proposal)
- Angry with (a person), angry at (a thing)
- Believe in (have faith in)
- Consist of (be composed of)
- Depend on/upon
- Die of (disease), die from (injury)
- Good at (skill), good to (kind to someone)
- Interested in
- Listen to
- Look at (see), look for (search), look after (care)
- Proud of
- Suffer from
Worked Examples
Example 1: Fill in the blank The train will arrive ____ platform number 3 ____ 6 PM.
Solution:
- Platform is a specific point → use "at"
- 6 PM is a specific time → use "at"
- Answer: The train will arrive at platform number 3 at 6 PM.
Example 2: Error correction He has been living in Dharamshala since five years.
Solution:
- "Since" is used with a point in time (since 2019, since Monday)
- "For" is used with duration (for five years, for two months)
- Correct sentence: He has been living in Dharamshala for five years.
Example 3: Choose the correct preposition The teacher divided the sweets ____ the students.
(a) between (b) among (c) in (d) with
Solution:
- "Between" is used for two entities
- "Among" is used for more than two entities
- Students (plural, more than two) → use "among"
- Answer: (b) among
Example 4: Spot the error She discussed about the problem with her colleagues.
Solution:
- "Discuss" is a transitive verb that takes a direct object — no preposition needed
- Correct sentence: She discussed the problem with her colleagues.
Common Mistakes
- Using "since" with duration → Students write "since three years" instead of "for three years." Remember: since + point in time, for + duration.
- Adding unnecessary prepositions → Writing "enter into the room," "discuss about the topic," "describe about the place." These verbs take direct objects without prepositions.
- Confusing in/on/at for place → Using "in the bus stop" instead of "at the bus stop." Use AT for specific points, IN for enclosed spaces, ON for surfaces.
- Between vs Among confusion → Using "between" for groups larger than two. Reserve "between" strictly for two entities; use "among" for three or more.
- Wrong verb-preposition combinations → Writing "angry on someone" instead of "angry with someone," or "interested on" instead of "interested in." These collocations must be memorised.
- Confusing beside and besides → "Beside" means next to (sit beside me). "Besides" means in addition to (besides English, she knows French).
Quick Reference
- At/On/In for time: AT specific time, ON days/dates, IN months/years/seasons.
- At/On/In for place: AT point, ON surface, IN enclosed area.
- Since vs For: Since + starting point; For + duration.
- Between (two) vs Among (more than two).
- No preposition after: discuss, enter, attack, accompany, resemble, mention, reach, comprise.
- Common collocations to memorise: agree with/to, angry with/at, consist of, depend on, die of/from, interested in, listen to, look at/for/after.