Mistakes common with prepositions

5 years ago

 Native English speakers rarely make mistakes with these very common prepositions. However, non-native speakers frequently get them wrong, often because they translate directly from their own language rather than listening to native English speakers (and yes, you always listen to something or someone).
The best way to improve your command of prepositions is to:
listen to spoken English as much as possible, and
Learners of English around the world often make mistakes with at, for, in, on, and to.

1) arrive at or arrive in
*When we arrived to Claudio’s house…
You always arrive at a specific place: school, a restaurant, the airport, your aunt’s house. (You arrive in a city or a country.)

 
2) at night
*We often go out in the night.
You can work hard in the morning, relax in the afternoon, eat dinner in the evening, but you go out at night.
✓  We often go out at night.
✓  Krakow is beautiful at night.

 
3) look for or wait for
If you want to find something or someone, you look for (or search for) them.
If you stay in one place until something or someone is ready, you wait for them.
✓  I was looking for my glasses.
✓  Łukas is looking for a new job.

 
4) for [period of time]
*I’ve been working here since five years
You use for with periods of time, such as:
a few minutes
t h r e e  m o n t h s
t  w  e  n  t  y     y  e  a  r  s
You use since with specific points in time, such as:
this morning
September

5) in [months and years]
*It’s my birthday on July!
You always use in for months and years.
✓ It’s my birthday in July!
✓ Ola was born in 2004.


6) live/work/study in [cities and countries]
*I live at Tokyo.
You live, work, or study in a city or a country. (You live at a specific address, work at or for a specific organization, or study at a specific university.)
✓ I live in Tokyo.
✓ Roberta works in Japan.
✓ Hector studies in Canada.

 
7) it depends on
*It depends of what you want: Italian food or Chinese food.
Remember, you always say it depends on or depending on something or someone – or you can just say it depends.

 
8.) married to
*He’s married with Kim.
You are always married to – or you get married to – someone. (However, you just marry someone.)

Good luck! 