Uses of "at" – Summary Table

Use Type Explanation Examples

1. Time Specific point in time He left at 5 PM.

2. Place/Location Specific place or position She is at the station.

3. Events Used for occasions or I saw him at the party.

happenings

4. Direction/Target Showing aim or focus He shouted at me.

5. Speed/Rate/Level Used for measurements or The car was moving at 90

levels km/h.

6. Skill/Activity Showing ability or performance She is good at drawing.

7. Age To indicate age He retired at 60.

8. Price Showing cost or rate Apples are sold at ₹100 per

kg.

9. State/Condition To show situation or feeling They’re at peace now.

10. Reaction Emotional or mental response She laughed at the joke.

11. Devices/Services Using/being on a machine or He’s at the computer.

device

12. Email Address Standard format for email Contact me at

[email protected].

13. Idiomatic uses At last, at least, at once

Expressions/Phrases

14. Abstract Nouns Emotional or abstract ideas She was surprised at his
behavior.
All Uses of “in” – With Examples
Use Type Explanation Examples

1. Place/Location Inside something or within He is in the room.

boundaries

2. Time (Longer Months, years, centuries, or parts She was born in July. / In
Periods) of the day 1995.

3. Condition/State Describes state, mood, or He is in trouble. / They’re

condition in love.

4. Wearing something She came in a red dress.

Clothing/Appearance

5. Language/Material Shows the medium or language The poem is written in

Bengali.

6. Activity/Field Profession or area of work He works in education.

7. Transport Use for enclosed vehicles (cars, She is in the car.

(Enclosed) taxis)

8. Groups/Teams Being a member of a group He is in the football team.

9. Shape/Arrangement Formation or layout Stand in a circle.

10. Participation Involved in something She’s in the competition.

11. Time Duration After a certain amount of time He’ll be here in 10 minutes.
(future)

12. Inclusion Being part of something There are 10 chapters in

this book.

13. Belief/Interest Showing belief or involvement I believe in honesty.

14. Idiomatic Phrases Common phrases with "in" In fact, in the end, in
charge
✅ All Uses of “on” – With Examples
Use Type Explanation Examples

1. Place/Surface Something resting over or The book is on the table.

touching a surface

2. Days/Dates Used for specific days and He was born on Monday. / On

dates 15th August.

3. Direction/Contact Attached, touching, or He knocked on the door.

supported by something

4. Subject/Topic Refers to the topic of A book on history. / A show on

something Netflix.

5. Device/Machine When something is operating The TV is on. / The light is on.

or active

6. Media/Platform Refers to channels, social I saw it on Instagram. / It’s on

media, etc. TV.

7. Transport (Open Used for buses, trains, He is on the bus. / She’s on a

Surface) planes, bikes, ships bike.

8. Performance Stage On stage, on screen He is on stage. / The actor is

on screen.

9. Attachment Something stuck or pinned There’s a sticker on the wall.

10. Dependence Used to show reliance or He depends on his parents.

support

11. Condition/Status Showing a person’s state She’s on duty. / He is on

leave.

12. Financial/Payment Refers to taxes, charges, or A tax is imposed on goods. /

rewards 10% off on this shirt.

13. Cause/Effect Triggered by something He acted on impulse.

14. Involvement/Action Doing something actively She is on a mission. / They

went on strike.

15. Idiomatic Phrases Fixed phrases with "on" On time, on fire, on the way
✅ All Uses of "by" – With Examples
Use Type Explanation Examples

1. Agent (Doer) Used to show who did the action The poem was written by
(especially in passive voice) Rabindranath Tagore.

2. Shows position near something She sat by the window.

Proximity/Location

3. Time – Deadline Indicates the latest time Finish the work by 5 PM.
something should happen

4. Method/Means Describes how something He came by car. / Sent by

happens or is done email.

5. Mode of Transport Refers to traveling or sending I traveled by bus. / We sent

something it by post.

6. Measurement Describes the unit used for He charges by the hour. /

measuring something Selling rice by the kilo.

7. Action/Process Indicates the method or action You can improve by

taken practicing daily.

8. Indicates the creator of a work A novel by Chetan Bhagat.

Authorship/Creation

9. Swearing/Oath Used in older or poetic language I swear by God.

10. Standard Used in comparisons He is taller by two inches.

11. Passive Used in directions or procedures Do it by pressing this button.

Instructions

12. Independence Indicates someone is alone or She lives by herself.

does something alone
✅ All Uses of "with" – With Examples
Use Type Explanation Examples

1. Instrument / Tool Shows what is used to do He cut the paper with

something scissors.

2. Accompaniment Refers to being together or in I went to the movie with

company my friends.

3. Possession Describes someone or something A boy with blue eyes.

having a quality/feature

4. Cause / Reason Describes the cause of a feeling or She was shaking with fear.
condition

5. Manner Describes the way something is He spoke with confidence.

done

6. Agreement / Shows support or opposition I agree with your opinion.

Support

7. Relationship Shows connection or link My relationship with my

cousin is strong.

8. Conflict / Describes someone in a fight or He had a fight with his

Opposition argument brother.

9. Belonging / Shows someone is part of a group She works with the Red
Membership or organization Cross.

10. Attire / Describes what someone is wearing A man with a hat.

Appearance or carrying

11. Containment Something having or holding A box with chocolates.

something inside

12. Simultaneous Doing something while something He was reading with the
Action else is happening radio on.
✅ All Uses of "for" – With Examples
Use Type Explanation Examples

1. Purpose / Aim Shows the reason or purpose This gift is for you. / A tool for
of something cutting.

2. Duration (Time) Shows how long something I waited for two hours.
lasts

3. Benefit Indicates who benefits from an She cooked dinner for her
action family.

4. Destination / Goal Shows direction or intention They left for Delhi at dawn.

5. Support / Favor Shows support or agreement I'm for equal rights.

6. In Exchange / Used in trades or exchanges I bought it for ₹500.

Value

7. Function / Role Indicates the use of something This button is for turning off the
light.

8. Intended Shows who something is A message for you arrived.

Recipient meant to go to

9. Deadline (less Time by which something The homework is for Monday.

common) should be done

10. Comparison Indicates opinion or condition She’s tall for a 12-year-old.

11. Reason / Cause Formal or poetic usage He wept for joy. / They died for
their country.
✅ All Uses of "to" – With Examples
Use Type Explanation Examples

1. Direction / Shows movement toward a She went to school. / He

Movement specific place or person came to me.

2. Recipient Indicates the person who receives I gave the book to my friend.
something

3. Time Range Indicates the end of a time period The shop is open from 9 AM
(until) to 9 PM.

4. Comparison Used when comparing things He is junior to me. / This is

superior to that.

5. Purpose / Often used with verbs to show I came here to study.

Intention purpose

6. Limit / Extent Indicates a boundary or limit Fill the glass to the top.

7. Attachment / Shows connection, belonging, or The key to the house is

Belonging relation missing.

8. Response / Shows reaction or relation to He responded to the email.

Reaction something

9. Suitability Indicates if something is suitable or This is harmful to health.

acceptable

10. Ratio / Used in expressing proportions or The score was 3 to 1.

Proportion scales

11. Obligation / Shows duty or moral responsibility You must be polite to your
Duty elders.

12. In Infinitives "to" + base verb = infinitive form I like to read. / He wants to
go.

✅ All Uses of "into" – With Examples

Use Type Explanation Examples

1. Movement (from Describes motion towards the She went into the room. / He
outside to inside) interior of something jumped into the pool.

2. Transformation / Indicates a change in Water turns into ice. / He

Change of State condition, role, or form turned into a good leader.
3. Division / Breaking Used when dividing or cutting Cut the apple into pieces. /
something Divide 10 into 2.

4. Interest / Involvement Used to express liking or She is really into music.

strong interest

5. Impact / Hitting Describes collision or hitting The car crashed into the
something wall.

6. Exploration / Used when discussing deep The police looked into the
Investigation analysis or research case.

7. Mathematical Used in arithmetic division 2 goes into 10 five times.

Operation

✅ All Uses of "among" – With Examples

Use Type Explanation Examples

1. In the middle of (more Used when something is He was sitting among his
than two) surrounded by or part of a group friends.

2. Shared by a group Refers to division or distribution The prize was divided

within a group among the three
winners.

3. One of the group Indicates someone/something is She is among the top

included in a group students in the class.

4. In the company of Refers to being in a group He felt comfortable

socially among strangers.

5. Popularity/Presence Refers to thoughts, beliefs, or The idea is popular

in a group trends shared by a group among teenagers.

✅ All Common Uses of Prepositions – With Examples

Prepositio Use Type Explanation Example
n

Till / Until Time Limit / Used to show up to what time I will wait till/until 6
Ending Point something continues PM.

Negative Time Often used to emphasize delay Don’t go until I return.

Limit or deadline

Above Higher position Something is at a higher level The fan is above the
(not touching) table.
 Rank or Higher than a level or amount His marks were above
standard average.

Below Lower position Something is at a lower level The shoes are kept
(not touching) below the shelf.

Rank or Lower than a level or amount Temperature is below

standard freezing.

Over Directly higher / Used for vertical position or The plane flew over the
covering movement city.

Covering / Refers to something being on He put a cloth over the

Across top of and covering something food.

More than / Refers to numbers/ages/levels He earns over ₹1 lakh

Higher a month.

Against In opposition / Shows resistance or physical He stood against the

contact contact wall. / I am against
violence.

After Time (following Shows something that We’ll go out after lunch.
something) happens later in time

Sequence Refers to something following He came after me in

another in order the line.

Beneath Formal / poetic Refers to lower position (literal The valley lay beneath
form of "under" or symbolic) the mountains.

Unworthy of / Used in formal speech It's beneath his dignity

Not suitable to beg.

Under Lower position / Used for vertical position or The cat is under the
covered by control bed. / He works under
pressure.

Within Inside a limit Refers to something inside a Finish it within 10

(time/place) range or boundary minutes. / Stay within
the area.

During Time period Indicates something happened I fell asleep during the
in the course of an event movie.

✅ All Uses of "onto" – With Examples

Use Type Explanation Examples
1. Movement to a Describes motion toward a surface or The cat jumped onto
surface position on top of something the sofa.
He climbed onto the
roof.

2. Transferring / Used in formal/logical/mathematical The data was uploaded

Mapping contexts onto the server.
The function maps onto
a range.

3. Attention / Used metaphorically to mean focus or She turned her attention

Awareness direction of thought onto the main issue.

📦 Categories of Prepositions You Might Want to Explore:

Category Examples

Place/Position at, in, on, under, over, behind, beside, between,

among

Time before, after, during, until, since, by, within

Direction/Movement to, into, onto, out of, off, across, through, along

Cause/Reason for, because of, due to, owing to

Agency/Means by, with, via

Comparison/Contrast like, unlike, as, than

Possession/Belongin of, to
g