Look at these two sentences: "The cat sat the table" and "The cat sat on the table." The second sentence makes sense because the word on tells us where the cat sat. Words like on, in, under, at, behind are called prepositions. They show the relationship between a noun (or pronoun) and other words in a sentence. Prepositions can tell us where something is (place) or when something happens (time).
Look at these two sentences: "The cat sat the table" and "The cat sat on the table." The second sentence makes sense because the word on tells us where the cat sat. Words like on, in, under, at, behind are called prepositions. They show the relationship between a noun (or pronoun) and other words in a sentence. Prepositions can tell us where something is (place) or when something happens (time).
Prepositions of place tell us where something or someone is.
| Preposition | Meaning | Example Sentence |
|---|---|---|
| in | Inside something | The books are in the bag. |
| on | On the surface of something | The pen is on the desk. |
| under | Below something | The dog is sleeping under the bed. |
| behind | At the back of something | Ravi is hiding behind the door. |
| between | In the middle of two things | The school is between the temple and the park. |
| above | Higher than something (not touching) | The fan is above our heads. |
| below | Lower than something | The river flows below the bridge. |
| beside | Next to something | Meena sat beside her friend. |
| in front of | Facing the front of something | The garden is in front of the house. |
Anita lives in Jaipur. Her house is between a grocery shop and a tailor shop. There is a neem tree in front of her house. Her cat likes to sit on the window sill and watch the birds above the rooftop.
Prepositions of time tell us when something happens.
| Preposition | Used For | Example Sentence |
|---|---|---|
| at | Exact time | School starts at 8 o'clock. |
| on | Days and dates | We have a holiday on Monday. / Republic Day is on 26th January. |
| in | Months, years, seasons | My birthday is in March. / India became free in 1947. / It rains a lot in the monsoon. |
Rohan wakes up at 6 o'clock every morning. He goes to school on weekdays. His school annual day is in December. This year, it falls on 15th December.
| Word | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Preposition | A word that shows the relationship between a noun/pronoun and other words in a sentence |
| Preposition of Place | A preposition that tells where something is (in, on, under, etc.) |
| Preposition of Time | A preposition that tells when something happens (at, on, in) |
| Noun | A word that names a person, place, thing, or animal |
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