Chapter 17: Prepositions · UPESSC TGT English

Part IV — Connectives & Mechanics

Chapter 17

Prepositions

📘 50 MCQs⏱ ~25 min read🎯 Exam-focused

Theory

3.1 Definition and Object of a Preposition

A preposition relates its object to another word. In The book is on the table, the preposition on relates table (object) to book. The object is always in the objective case.

The cat sat under the chair.
She is fond of music.
This is a secret between you and me. (not I)
To whom were you speaking? (not who)
He divided the sweets among the children.

3.2 Kinds of Prepositions

Kind	Definition	Examples
Simple	Single, basic words used mostly in everyday speech.	at, by, for, from, in, of, off, on, out, through, till, to, up, with
Compound (double)	Formed by prefixing a preposition (usually a- or be-) to a noun, adjective or adverb.	about, above, across, along, amidst, among, around, before, behind, below, beneath, beside, between, beyond, within, without
Phrase (phrasal)	Groups of words functioning as a single preposition.	according to, because of, by means of, in front of, in spite of, instead of, on behalf of, owing to, with reference to, in addition to
Participial	Present/past participles used as prepositions.	concerning, considering, regarding, respecting, pending, notwithstanding, during, given, barring, touching

The shop is just in front of the temple. (phrase)
Notwithstanding the heavy rain, the match continued. (participial)
He stood beside his father. (compound)
She acted according to the rules. (phrase)
Considering his age, he works very hard. (participial)

3.3 Prepositions of Time — AT / ON / IN

Use	Preposition	Examples
Exact/clock time, festivals, mealtimes, points of time	AT	at 5 o'clock, at noon, at midnight, at dawn, at present, at Christmas, at the weekend (BrE)
Days and dates	ON	on Monday, on 15 August, on my birthday, on Sunday morning, on New Year's Day
Months, years, seasons, centuries, parts of the day	IN	in May, in 2020, in summer, in the 21st century, in the morning, in the evening

Note: Use at night but in the night; in the morning/afternoon/evening but on Monday morning (a specific morning). No preposition before last, next, this, every: I met him last Monday (not on last Monday).

The train leaves at 6.45 in the evening.
We shall meet on Friday.
India became independent in 1947.
He always reads in the morning but works at night.
My exam is on 30 June.

3.4 BY vs UNTIL/TILL

By = not later than (a deadline, an action completed at or before a point). Until/Till = up to a point of time (a situation continuing). Till and until are interchangeable; until is preferred in formal writing and at the start of a sentence.

Finish the report by Monday. (deadline = Monday at the latest)
I shall wait until Monday. (waiting continues up to Monday)
She had read fifty pages by 9 p.m.
The shop stays open till midnight.
Until you apologise, I will not speak to you.

3.5 SINCE vs FOR

Since marks a point of time (the starting point); for marks a period/length of time. Since is normally used with the perfect tenses.

I have lived here since 2015. (starting point)
I have lived here for eleven years. (duration)
She has been ill since Monday.
He has been waiting for two hours.
We have not met since the festival.

3.6 FROM…TO, WITHIN, DURING

From…to shows a starting point and an ending point. Within = before the end of (inside a period). During = throughout / at some point in a period.

The office is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
He works from Monday to Saturday.
Please reply within a week. (before the week ends)
It rained heavily during the night.
She fell asleep during the lecture.

Note: From needs a corresponding to/till/until; with a starting point of an action use since (perfect tenses). Say I have known him since 2010, not from 2010 when no end point is given.

3.7 Prepositions of Place — AT / IN / ON

Preposition	Sense	Examples
AT	A point / small place / specific address / general location	at the bus stop, at the door, at home, at the station, at 10 Park Street, at Agra (on a journey)
IN	Enclosed space / large area / town, city, country	in the room, in the box, in India, in Lucknow, in the garden, in the sky
ON	A surface / line of contact	on the table, on the wall, on the floor, on the page, on the river (a town)

She is waiting at the gate.
There is a fly on the ceiling.
He lives in Kanpur.
The keys are in my pocket.
We met at the airport.

3.8 Prepositions of Movement / Direction

Preposition	Sense	Example
to	Movement towards a destination	He went to school.
into	Movement from outside to inside	She walked into the hall.
onto	Movement to a surface	The cat jumped onto the roof.
towards	In the direction of (not necessarily reaching)	He ran towards the gate.
across / through	From side to side / from end to end (inside)	swam across the river; walked through the forest
over / under	Above / below, often with movement	jumped over the wall; rolled under the bed

The children ran into the classroom.
He climbed onto the stage.
We walked towards the river.
The road runs through the valley.
The bird flew across the field.

3.9 BETWEEN vs AMONG; ABOVE/OVER; BELOW/UNDER; BESIDE/BESIDES

Pair	Rule	Example
between / among	Between for two (or for several considered individually/in pairs); among for more than two viewed collectively.	Divide it between the two boys; among the four children.
above / over	Above = higher than (not touching, no contact/coverage); over = vertically above, often covering or movement across.	The plane flew above/over the clouds; a blanket over the bed.
below / under	Below = lower than; under = directly beneath / covered.	The sun sank below the horizon; the cat is under the table.
beside / besides	Beside = by the side of; besides = in addition to / moreover.	Sit beside me; Besides English, he knows French.

There was a quarrel between the two brothers.
The prize was distributed among the students.
The lamp hangs above the table.
He hid the box under the bed.
Besides a car, he owns a motorcycle.

3.10 IN FRONT OF / BEHIND; BY (agent) vs WITH (instrument)

By introduces the agent/doer (in passive voice); with introduces the instrument/tool.

The thief was caught by the police with a net.
The letter was written by her with a pen.
The car is parked in front of the house.
A tree stood behind the cottage.
The deer was killed by the hunter with an arrow.

3.11 IN vs INTO; ON vs UPON; IN vs WITHIN; TILL vs TO

Pair	Rule	Example
in / into	In = position (rest); into = movement to inside.	He is in the room; he went into the room.
on / upon	Largely interchangeable; upon is more formal or used with motion and in fixed phrases.	The cat sprang upon the mouse; once upon a time.
in / within	In (a period) = at the end of; within = before the end of / inside.	I'll come in an hour; finish it within an hour.
till / to	Till/until for time; to for place (and time when paired with from).	Wait till evening; from morning to evening.

She poured the milk into the glass.
The frog jumped upon the leaf.
Reply within three days.
He will return in a week.
The library is open from 9 to 8.

3.12 Appropriate Prepositions — Big Collocation Table

Word	Preposition + sense	Example
agree	to a proposal/thing; with a person; on a point	I agree to the plan / with you / on the terms.
depend / rely	on / upon	You can depend on him.
consist	of	Water consists of hydrogen and oxygen.
deal	with (a matter); in (goods)	He deals in cloth; deal with the issue.
insist	on	She insisted on paying.
comply	with	You must comply with the rules.
prevent	from	Rain prevented us from going.
prefer	to	I prefer tea to coffee.
deprive	of	He was deprived of his rights.
accuse	of	She accused him of theft.
charge	with (a crime); for (money)	He was charged with murder; charged for the meal.
congratulate	on / upon	I congratulate you on your success.
suspect	of	They suspected him of lying.
abstain	from	He abstained from voting.
look	after (care); for (search); into (investigate); up to (respect)	look after the baby; look for keys; look into the matter; look up to elders.
good / skilled / clever / expert	at	She is good at mathematics.
angry	with a person; at / about a thing	angry with him; angry at the delay.
afraid / scared / frightened	of	I am afraid of snakes.
jealous / envious	of	He is jealous of her success.
fond	of	They are fond of music.
proud	of	She is proud of her son.
capable	of	He is capable of hard work.
aware / conscious	of	I am aware of the facts.
married / engaged	to	She is married to a doctor.
similar	to	This case is similar to that.
superior / inferior / senior / junior / prior	to	He is superior to me in rank.
different	from (BrE)	This is different from that.
need / demand / desire / appetite	for	There is a great need for reform.
reason	for	What is the reason for his absence?
cause	of	Carelessness is the cause of accidents.
remedy / cure / solution	for (remedy/cure); to (solution)	a remedy for cold; a solution to the problem.
die	of (disease); from (wound); for (a cause)	died of fever; died from a fall.

3.13 Placement of Preposition at the End of a Sentence

A preposition is normally placed before its object, but it may stand at the end of the sentence — especially in questions, relative clauses and passives. This is fully acceptable in modern (and even formal) English.

What are you looking at?
This is the house (which) he was born in.
Whom are you speaking to?
The bed was not slept in.
Here is the pen (that) I was searching for.

3.14 Omission of Preposition (Transitive Verbs)

Some verbs are transitive in English and take a direct object without any preposition, although their meaning seems to invite one. The most tested are: discuss, enter, marry, resemble, lack, reach, order, request, attack, comprise, accompany, board, sign, emphasise, await, mention, describe.

Let us discuss ~~about~~ the matter. → Let us discuss the matter.
He entered ~~into~~ the hall. → He entered the hall.
She married ~~with~~ a lawyer. → She married a lawyer.
The boy resembles to his father. → The boy resembles his father.
We reached at the station. → We reached the station.

Note: Enter into IS correct in the figurative sense — enter into an agreement / a discussion / a contract. Order and request take no preposition before the person: He ordered to the peon → He ordered the peon.

3.15 Double Prepositions

Two prepositions sometimes combine to express a precise relation. Common forms: from among, from behind, from under, out of, up to, in between, off of (non-standard), because of, owing to.

He chose a book from among the pile.
The dog ran out from under the car.
A man came from behind the curtain.
She earns up to fifty thousand a month.
He took the toy out of the box.

Common Exam Errors

#	Wrong	Correct	Explanation
1	Discuss about the topic.	Discuss the topic.	Discuss is transitive — no about.
2	He entered into the room.	He entered the room.	Enter takes no preposition for a place.
3	She married with him.	She married him.	Marry is transitive — no with.
4	He resembles to his uncle.	He resembles his uncle.	Resemble takes no to.
5	We reached at the airport.	We reached the airport.	Reach takes a direct object.
6	I am good in English.	I am good at English.	Skill/ability uses good at.
7	He is superior than me.	He is superior to me.	Latin comparatives take to.
8	This is different than that.	This is different from that.	BrE uses different from.
9	Divide it among the two boys.	Divide it between the two boys.	Between for two.
10	I have lived here for 2015.	I have lived here since 2015.	Point of time → since.
11	She has been ill since two days.	She has been ill for two days.	Duration → for.
12	The meeting is in Monday.	The meeting is on Monday.	Days take on.
13	He was born at 1990.	He was born in 1990.	Years take in.
14	Wait for me at the evening.	Wait for me in the evening.	Parts of the day take in.
15	He jumped in the river.	He jumped into the river.	Movement inside → into.
16	I agree with your proposal.	I agree to your proposal.	Agree to a thing/proposal.
17	She is married with an engineer.	She is married to an engineer.	Married to.
18	The thief was caught with the police.	The thief was caught by the police.	Agent → by.
19	He cut it by a knife.	He cut it with a knife.	Instrument → with.
20	I prefer coffee than tea.	I prefer coffee to tea.	Prefer takes to.
21	He is angry on me.	He is angry with me.	Angry with a person.
22	He sat besides his friend.	He sat beside his friend.	Beside = by the side of; besides = in addition to.
23	Finish it until Monday.	Finish it by Monday.	Deadline → by.
24	The cause for the fire is unknown.	The cause of the fire is unknown.	Cause of.
25	There is no need of haste.	There is no need for haste.	Need for.

Exam Tricks

Transitive trap: If the verb is discuss, enter, marry, resemble, reach, order, request, attack, lack, accompany, board, reject any option that adds a preposition.
"To" with Latin comparatives: superior, inferior, senior, junior, prior, posterior, anterior, prefer always take to, never than — a very common distractor.
Point vs Period: See a date/clock time/event → since; see a number + unit of duration → for.
Deadline word "by": If the action is completed at-or-before a point, choose by; if a state continues up to that point, choose until/till.
Agent vs Instrument: Living doer in passive → by; tool/material → with.
Two vs Many: between (two) / among (more than two). Watch the number in the option.
Rest vs Motion: Static position → in/on/at; movement to inside/surface → into/onto.
Common distractors: good in (✗ → at), married with (✗ → to), different than (✗ → from), cause for (✗ → of), congratulate for (✗ → on), capable to (✗ → of).

Frequently Confused Pairs

Pair	Distinction	Correct examples
in / into	Position (rest) vs movement to inside	He is in bed. / He fell into the well.
beside / besides	By the side of vs in addition to	Sit beside me. / Besides tea, serve coffee.
between / among	Two vs more than two	Choose between the two. / Share among the five.
since / for	Point of time vs period	since Monday / for three days.
by / until (till)	Deadline (completed) vs continuation	Submit by 5. / Wait until 5.
by / with	Agent (doer) vs instrument (tool)	painted by him with a brush.
on / upon	Surface (general) vs formal / with motion	book on the desk / sprang upon the prey.
good at / good in	Skill/ability (at) vs ✗ (in is non-standard)	good at chess (not good in chess).
above / over	Higher than vs vertically above / covering	flat above ours / roof over the hall.

Exceptions — Important, Rare and Advanced

Transitive verbs that take NO preposition (learn this list — it is the highest-scoring exception):

Verb	Correct (no preposition)	Wrong
discuss	discuss the plan	discuss about the plan
enter	enter the room	enter into the room
marry	marry her	marry with her
resemble	resemble his father	resemble to his father
lack	lack confidence	lack of confidence (verb)
reach	reach the city	reach to the city
order / request	order/request the clerk	order/request to the clerk
attack	attack the fort	attack on the fort (verb)
resemble / accompany / board / await / comprise	accompany me; board the train; await reply; comprise five parts	accompany with; board on; await for; comprise of

Advanced: The nouns can take prepositions even when the verbs cannot — a lack of confidence, an attack on the fort, her marriage to him, entry into the hall. Comprise takes no of (✗ comprise of), but the synonymous be composed of / consist of do take of.

50 MCQs

Easy (1–15)

1. I shall meet you ____ Monday.

(a) in (b) at (c) on (d) by
Answer: (c) on
Explanation: Days of the week take on.

2. He was born ____ 1995.

(a) on (b) in (c) at (d) by
Answer: (b) in
Explanation: Years take in.

3. The train arrives ____ 6 o'clock.

(a) in (b) on (c) at (d) by
Answer: (c) at
Explanation: Exact clock time takes at.

4. She is good ____ mathematics.

(a) in (b) at (c) on (d) with
Answer: (b) at
Explanation: Skill/ability uses good at.

5. The cat is hiding ____ the table.

(a) on (b) above (c) under (d) into
Answer: (c) under
Explanation: Directly beneath → under.

6. He jumped ____ the river.

(a) in (b) into (c) on (d) at
Answer: (b) into
Explanation: Movement to inside → into.

7. Divide the apple ____ the two boys.

(a) among (b) between (c) in (d) with
Answer: (b) between
Explanation: Between for two.

8. I am afraid ____ snakes.

(a) from (b) of (c) with (d) at
Answer: (b) of
Explanation: Afraid of.

9. She has been waiting ____ two hours.

(a) since (b) from (c) for (d) by
Answer: (c) for
Explanation: Duration → for.

10. We have not met ____ last year.

(a) for (b) since (c) from (d) by
Answer: (b) since
Explanation: Point of time → since.

11. The book is ____ the table.

(a) in (b) at (c) on (d) into
Answer: (c) on
Explanation: Surface → on.

12. He lives ____ Lucknow.

(a) at (b) in (c) on (d) by
Answer: (b) in
Explanation: Cities/large areas → in.

13. They are fond ____ music.

(a) for (b) with (c) of (d) to
Answer: (c) of
Explanation: Fond of.

14. Please submit the form ____ Friday.

(a) until (b) by (c) since (d) for
Answer: (b) by
Explanation: Deadline → by.

15. The plane flew ____ the clouds.

(a) under (b) below (c) above (d) into
Answer: (c) above
Explanation: Higher than → above.

Moderate (16–35)

16. Let us discuss ____ the matter.

(a) about (b) on (c) over (d) (no preposition)
Answer: (d) (no preposition)
Explanation: Discuss is transitive.

17. He is superior ____ all his colleagues.

(a) than (b) to (c) from (d) over
Answer: (b) to
Explanation: Latin comparative → to.

18. The thief was arrested ____ the police.

(a) with (b) by (c) from (d) through
Answer: (b) by
Explanation: Agent in passive → by.

19. She cut the rope ____ a knife.

(a) by (b) from (c) with (d) through
Answer: (c) with
Explanation: Instrument → with.

20. I prefer tea ____ coffee.

(a) than (b) over (c) to (d) from
Answer: (c) to
Explanation: Prefer takes to.

21. He was accused ____ theft.

(a) for (b) with (c) of (d) on
Answer: (c) of
Explanation: Accuse of.

22. He was charged ____ murder.

(a) of (b) with (c) for (d) on
Answer: (b) with
Explanation: Charge with a crime.

23. I congratulate you ____ your success.

(a) for (b) on (c) at (d) about
Answer: (b) on
Explanation: Congratulate on.

24. The rain prevented us ____ going out.

(a) to (b) for (c) from (d) of
Answer: (c) from
Explanation: Prevent from.

25. ____ English, she speaks French.

(a) Beside (b) Besides (c) Among (d) Between
Answer: (b) Besides
Explanation: In addition to → besides.

26. She married ____ a doctor.

(a) with (b) to (c) (no preposition) (d) into
Answer: (c) (no preposition)
Explanation: Marry is transitive (verb form).

27. He is married ____ a doctor.

(a) with (b) to (c) of (d) from
Answer: (b) to
Explanation: The adjective phrase married to.

28. We reached ____ the station on time.

(a) at (b) to (c) in (d) (no preposition)
Answer: (d) (no preposition)
Explanation: Reach takes a direct object.

29. The success of the plan depends ____ your support.

(a) of (b) on (c) from (d) at
Answer: (b) on
Explanation: Depend on/upon.

30. You must comply ____ the rules.

(a) to (b) with (c) for (d) by
Answer: (b) with
Explanation: Comply with.

31. There is a great demand ____ skilled workers.

(a) of (b) for (c) to (d) on
Answer: (b) for
Explanation: Demand for.

32. What is the cause ____ the fire?

(a) for (b) of (c) to (d) behind
Answer: (b) of
Explanation: Cause of.

33. He is angry ____ his careless servant.

(a) on (b) at (c) with (d) for
Answer: (c) with
Explanation: Angry with a person.

34. Please reply ____ a week.

(a) in (b) within (c) since (d) by
Answer: (b) within
Explanation: Before the end of → within.

35. He poured the water ____ the bucket.

(a) in (b) into (c) on (d) at
Answer: (b) into
Explanation: Movement to inside → into.

Difficult (36–50)

36. The committee comprises ____ ten members.

(a) of (b) with (c) (no preposition) (d) in
Answer: (c) (no preposition)
Explanation: Comprise takes no of.

37. This problem is quite different ____ that one.

(a) than (b) to (c) from (d) with
Answer: (c) from
Explanation: BrE: different from.

38. He abstained ____ voting in the election.

(a) of (b) from (c) to (d) against
Answer: (b) from
Explanation: Abstain from.

39. We must look ____ the matter carefully before deciding.

(a) after (b) for (c) into (d) up to
Answer: (c) into
Explanation: Investigate → look into.

40. The old man was robbed ____ his savings.

(a) from (b) of (c) with (d) off
Answer: (b) of
Explanation: Rob/deprive a person of something.

41. A man suddenly appeared ____ the curtain.

(a) from behind (b) behind from (c) from under (d) out from
Answer: (a) from behind
Explanation: Double preposition from behind.

42. I agree ____ your proposal but not ____ you.

(a) with / to (b) to / with (c) on / to (d) to / on
Answer: (b) to / with
Explanation: Agree to a thing, with a person.

43. He insisted ____ paying the entire bill.

(a) to (b) for (c) on (d) at
Answer: (c) on
Explanation: Insist on.

44. The patient died ____ cholera.

(a) from (b) of (c) with (d) by
Answer: (b) of
Explanation: Die of a disease.

45. The soldier was wounded and died ____ his injuries.

(a) of (b) from (c) with (d) for
Answer: (b) from
Explanation: Die from a wound/injury.

46. Whom were you talking ____?

(a) with (b) at (c) to (d) for
Answer: (c) to
Explanation: Talk to; preposition may end the question.

47. He is junior ____ me but senior ____ my brother.

(a) than / than (b) to / to (c) of / of (d) from / from
Answer: (b) to / to
Explanation: Junior/senior take to.

48. She is not aware ____ the consequences.

(a) about (b) of (c) for (d) with
Answer: (b) of
Explanation: Aware of.

49. The office remains open ____ nine ____ five.

(a) since / to (b) from / to (c) from / till (d) at / to
Answer: (b) from / to
Explanation: From…to for a clock-time span.

50. There is no remedy ____ this disease, but a solution ____ the problem exists.

(a) for / to (b) to / for (c) of / for (d) for / of
Answer: (a) for / to
Explanation: Remedy for; solution to.