PREPOSITIONS

Position, movement and time

 PREPOSITION OF POSITION AND
MOVEMENT
• Across, over
• We can use across or over to talk about a position on the other side of, or moving to
the other side of road, bridge, river, etc:
• Antonio lives in the house across/over the road from ours.
• Once she was across/over the border, she knew she would be safe.
• We use over rather than across when we talk about reaching the other side of
something that is high or higher than it is wide. Compare:
• He jumped over the fence into the garden.
• And
• He jumped across the stream.
 PREPOSITION OF POSITION AND
MOVEMENT

• When we are talking about something we think of as a flat surface, or an area

such as a country or sea, we prefer across rather than over:
• He suddenly saw Eva across the room.
• The programme was broadcast across Canada.
• We prefer all over rather than all across to mean ‘ to or in many different parts
of an area’. However, we commonly use across, or right across for emphasis:
• The disease has now spread all over the world. (or … (right) across the
world).
 PREPOSITION OF POSITION AND
MOVEMENT
• Along, through
• When we talk about following the line of some kind (a road, a river, etc), we use along:
• They walked along the footpath until they came to a small bridge.
• We use through to emphasize that we are talking about movement in a three dimensional space
(трехмерное пространство), with things all around, rather than a two dimensional space, a flat
surface or area:
• He pushed his way through the crowd of people to get her.
• Through often suggests movement from one side or end of the space to other. Compare:
• She walked through the forest to get to her grandmother’s house.
• And
• She spent a lot of her free time walking in the forest.
 PREPOSITION OF POSITION AND
MOVEMENT

• Above, over; below, under; beneath, underneath

• We can use either above or over when we say that one thing is at a higher level than another:
• Above/over the door was a sign saying, ‘Mind your head’.
• However, we prefer above, when one thing is not directly over the other. Compare:
• They lived in a village in the mountains above the lake. (not directly over)
• And
• The bird flew just a few metres above/over the lake (directly over).
• We use over, not above, when something covers something else and touches it:
• She put a quilt over the bed.
 PREPOSITION OF POSITION AND
MOVEMENT

• And usually when we are talking about horizontal movement at a higher level than something:
• I saw the helicopter fly out over the water, near the fishing boat.
• Below is the opposite of above; under is the opposite of over. The differences in the uses of
below and under are similar to those between above and over:
• It’s hard to believe that there is a railway line below/under the building. (at a lower level)
• Her head was below the level of the table so nobody noticed her. (not directly under)
• She hit the presents under a blanket. (the blanket covers and touches the presents)
• Zara ran under the bridge. (horizontal movement at a lower level).
• We can use underneath as a alternative to under as a preposition of place. Beneath is
sometimes used as more formal alternative to under and below.
 EXERCISES

• Complete the sentences with across or over (or both, if it is possible):

• 1. After I had finished work I walked ______ the car park to where Mona was waiting.
• (across)
• 2. They own a house _____ the river in the old town.
• (across/over)
• 3. The gate was locked so we had to climb _____ the wall.
• (over)
• 4. You are not allowed to walk ______ the railway line. We have to use the bridge.
• (across/over)
 EXERCISES

• 5. Julie Wafaei was the first woman to row alone _____ the Atlantic.
• (across)
• 6. Nuclear waste (ядерные отходы) is transported ____ the country, despite
objections from campaigners (активисты).
• (across/over)
• 7. The traffic was busy on the main road so we walked ____ pedestrian crossing.
• (across)
• 8. She learned out _____ the balcony rail and looked for Omar in the square below.
• (over)
 EXERCISES

• Correct the preposition (above, over, below, under) if necessary:

• 1. He slept with his wallet below his pillow.
• (under)
• 2. He broke his leg just below his knee.
• (+under)
• 3. The town stood at the top of the hill, and stretching into the distance under it were
green fields.
• (below)
• 4. She threw a coat above her shoulders and stepped out into the cold.
• (over)
 EXERCISES

• 5. He lived in a first-floor flat above a greengrocer’s in Leyton.

• (+over)
• 6. When the police got to the car they found the driver slumped above the steering
wheel ( сгорбился над рулем)
• (over)
• 7. He always wore a vest below his shirt, even in summer.
• (under)
• 8. I could hear the plane flying high over the clouds.
• (+above)
 BETWEEN AND AMONG

• As a preposition of place we use between with two or more people or things that
we see as individual or separate, and we use among when we see the people or
things as a part of a group or mass. Among is only used with three or more people
or things:
• She held the diamond between her thumb and forefinger.
• Zimbabwe is situated between Zambia to the north, Mozambique to the east,
Botswana to the west, and South Africa to the south.
• He stood among all his friends at the party and felt very happy.
• She eventually found her passport among the clothes in the drawer.
 BETWEEN AND AMONG

• Between and among are not only used as prepositions of place. For example, we
can use either to talk about something divided or shared between people:
• The money is to be divided between/among the towns in the area.
• The prize will be shared between/among the first six finishers in the race.
• We also use between –
• To talk about comparisons and relationships:
• There should be better balance on the committee between the various ethic
groups.
• They are wrong to claim that there is a link between unemployment and crime.
 BETWEEN AND AMONG

• We also use between -

• to talk about choices:
• I have to choose between the universities of Leeds, York and Manchester.
• He felt torn between his family and his friends.
• to talk about discussions or the results of discussions when we specify the two or more people or groups
involved:
• There was a disagreement between Emma, Jade and Zoe.
• The treaty (договор) was signed between Great Britain and France.
• to say that people or things share an amount of something:
• Between them, Will and Alice must earn about € 100,000 a year.
• Last year the three companies built 30,000 houses between them.
•
 BETWEEN AND AMONG

• We also use among -

• when we mean ‘existing or happening in a particular group’:
• The disease was now broken out among the hill tribes.
• Their music is still very popular among teenagers.
• when we mean ‘included in a particular group’:
• They are among the best hockey players in the world.
• Among the capital cities of South America, Quito is the second highest.
• There are a number of common expressions using between and among:
• Among others, among other things; between ourselves/ between you and me.
 EXERCISES

• Find the correct option:

• 1. For a couple of days I have had a pain between/among my shoulder blades.
• (between)
• 2. He couldn’t find a microphone between/among all the recording equipment he
had with him.
• (among)
• 3. It would be easier to read if you put a line space between/among the paragraphs.
• (between)
• 4. In the photograph Anna is standing between/among her parents.
• (between)
 EXERCISES

• 5. The lost manuscript was discovered between/among the thousands of books in the cellar.
• (among)
• 6. The buffet is toward the middle of the train between/among the first and second class
sections.
• (between)
• 7. She carried trays of drinks and food between/among the crowd of guests in the room.
• (among)
• 8. I couldn’t see Robbie between/among the audience, although he said he would be there.
• (among)
 PREPOSITIONS OF TIME

• During, in, over, throughout

• We use during or in to talk about a period of time within which an event or
activity occurs. The activity may continue for the whole of the period of time:
• I stayed at home during the summer. (or… in the summer)
• The population of the city has actually fallen during the last decade (or… in the
last…)
• - or the event may happen at some time, or be repeated a number of times, in
the period of time:
• We went to Turkey during the summer (or… in the summer)
• He suffered a number of injuries during his career as a jockey (or…in his
career…)
 PREPOSITIONS OF TIME

• We use during, rather than in, to mean ‘at some time in the period of’ before
nouns such as illness, holiday, meal, stay, treatment, and visit, when we refer to
an event which lasts some time:
• The President made the speech during a visit to Madrid.
• And also with the phrase the whole (of), emphasising duration of an entire period:
• No one was allowed to leave the ship during the whole of its time in port.
• We can use throughout to emphasise that something happens over the whole of a
period of time:
• We had enough firewood to keep us warm throughout the winter (or… warm
during/through the winter)
 PREPOSITIONS OF TIME

• We can use over or during when we talk about something that goes on for a length of time
within a period of time, either for some of that period or for the whole of it:
• Weather conditions have been improving over/during the past few days.
• I hit my head and can’t remember anything that happened over/during the next hour or so.
• However, if we talk about a short event that happens within a period of time, we prefer
during:
• She sneezed during the performance (once or a few times; not… over the performance)
• During a pause in the conversation, she left the room (not Over a pause…)
 PREPOSITIONS OF TIME

• Until, by, up to
• There are a number of ways of saying when something that has continued for some time stops -
• We use until (or informally till) to say that something continued or will continue to a particular time,
and by to say that something happened or will happen either before a particular time or at that time at
leas. Compare:
• We have to be at home until 2:30 (We must leave home before 2:30) and
• We have to be at home by 2:30 (We must arrive home either before or at 2:30)
• In informal context we can use up to or up till instead of until. We commonly use up to/till with
now and with then:
• I have just bought a tablet computer. I have always used a laptop up to now (or...up till now)
 PREPOSITIONS OF TIME

• We can use until now to talk about a situation that will not continue beyond now:
• Supermarkets say that until now there has been little consumer interest in buying
organic produce. (The situation has changed or going to change)
• Note, however, that we don’t use until now for a situation that will or may
continue into the future. Instead we can use so far or, in formal contexts, to date:
• It was certainly the best match of the football season so far.
• When the contract is signed it will be the building company’s biggest order to
date.
 EXERCISES

• Complete the pairs of sentences with by and until. Use by in one sentence and until in the
other:
• 1. a) I was really angry _____ the time dinner was served.
• b) We sat around the fire talking ______ the time dinner was served.
• (by/until)
• 2. a) Sorry I am late. I have been meeting _____ now.
• b) I thought Lars would have been here _____ now.
• (until/by)
• 3. a) I have got to pay the money back _____ the end of the month.
• b) I have got _____ the end of the month to pay the money back.
• (by/until)
 EXERCISES

• 4. a) I put on extra pair of socks. ______ then my feet were freezing cold.
• b) I stood outside the cinema for an hour. _____ then my feet were freezing cold.
• (until/by)
• 5. a) She was already a leading economist ______ her early twenties.
• b) She studied economics ______ her early twenties and then moved into law.
• (by/until)
• 6. a) I hope to finish the decorating _____ the weekend.
• b) It will take me _______ the weekend to finish the decorating.
• (by/until)