Common one-word prepositions 常见介词
介词+空间
at
at + home
Are you going out tonight, or are you staying at home?
at Jane’s (house) / at my sister’s (house)
at + school
What did you learn at school today?
What did you study at university/college? (but on campus)
at + facility
at the station / at the airport
at + building
at/in church (引申义：做祷告)
I didn’t see you at church last Sunday.
We stayed at/in a nice hotel.
at + spot
There’s somebody at the bus stop / at the door.
The car is waiting at the traffic lights.
Jane is working at her desk.
at + the top/end of
Write your name at the top of the page.
My house is at the end of the street.
in
in + container
What’s in that box / in that bag / in that cupboard?
I went for a swim in the river / in the pool / in the sea.
I like to look at the stars in the sky at night.
What’s the largest city in the world?
in + region
Milan is in the north of Italy. Naples is in the south.
in + city/the country
Times Square is in New York.
I live in a big city, but I’d like to live in the country.
in + street
Kevin lives in Newton Street.
in + building
in the same house
Rachel works in a shop / in a bank / in a factory.
They would like to be married in a church.
We stayed in /at a nice hotel.
in + room
‘Where’s David?’ ‘In the kitchen. / In the garden.
in + bed
He’s in bed.
in + transport
Did you come here in your car?
in a car / in a taxi
in the middle (of …)
There’s a big tree in the middle of the garden.
of
on
在平面上
on a plate
on a balcony
on the floor
Don’t sit on the grass. It’s wet.
There is a stamp on the envelope.
悬挂
on a door
on the ceiling
There are some books on the shelf and some pictures on the wall.
There are a lot of apples on those trees.
on a horse / on a bicycle / on a motorbike 骑乘
Who is that man on the motorbike?
on a bus / on a train / on a plane / on a ship 搭乘
Did you come here on the bus?
在楼层
on the ground floor / on the first floor
The office is on the first floor.
on the way 在路上
I met Ann on the way to work / on the way home.
on + spot
There’s accommodation for about five hundred students on campus.
to
go/come/walk (etc.) home
I’m tired. I’m going home. (not to home)
Did you walk home?
arrive and get
arrive in a country or town (arrive in Italy / arrive in Paris etc.):
They arrived in England last week. (not arrived to England)
arrive at other places (arrive at the station / arrive at work etc.):
What time did you arrive at the hotel? (not arrive to the hotel)
get to (a place):
What time did you get to the hotel?
What time did you get to Paris?
get home / arrive home (no preposition):
I was tired when I got home. or I was tired when I arrived home.
from
介词+时间
in
at
at + moment
Are you busy at the moment?
I start work at 8 o’clock.
The shops close at 5.30.
at + end of a period
Are you going away at the weekend?
o I’m going on holiday at the end of October.
at + festival
at Christmas / at Easter
Where will you be at Christmas? (but on Christmas Day)
at + night
I can’t sleep at night.
on
on + day
Bye! I’ll see you on Friday.
What do you usually do on Sundays?
The concert is on 22 November.
on NewYear’s Day
on + holiday
I’m going on holiday in October.
in
in + period
Emma was born in 1983.
The park is beautiful in spring.
in the morning / in the afternoon / in the evening
I always feel good in the morning.
Do you often go out in the evening?
but on Monday morning / on Tuesday afternoon / on Friday evening / on Saturday night etc.:
I’m meeting Joanne on Monday morning.
Are you doing anything on Saturday night?
in five minutes / in a few days / in six weeks / in two years etc.
Hurry! The train leaves in five minutes. (= it leaves five minutes from now)
Bye! I’ll see you in a few days. (= a few days from now)
no prepersition
We do not use at/ on/in before:
this … (this morning / this week etc.)
last … (last August / last week etc.)
next … (next Monday / next week etc.)
every . . . ( every day / every week etc.)
Are you going out this evening?
We go on holiday every summer. Last summer we went to Canada.
I’m leaving next Monday. (not on next Monday)
I finish work at 5 o’ clock every day.
其他用法
at
‘Where’s Kate?’ ‘She’s at work.’
I at the doctor’s
I at the hairdresser’s
at a concert / at a party / at a football match etc.
against
in
in + colours
a tray decorated in black and green
in a newspaper / in a book
in a photograph / in a picture
I read about the accident in the newspaper.
You look sad in this photograph.
(be) in hospital (生病住院)
David’s father is ill. He’s in hospital.
be in prison (犯罪入狱)
Why is he in prison? What did he do?
into
on
What’s on television tonight?
of
Like with most of your wardrobe’s basic elements, black should be the color of choice.
Reference:
1. Essential Grammar in Use, third edition, Raymond Murphy, Cambridge