Prepositions of Place and Movement
Prepositions are difficult to learn because habit, rather than rules, determine their use. It is also not possible to translate prepositions directly from your own language to English, as the same preposition may have several different translations depending on the context in which it is used. The proper use of prepositions is something that may make learners easily identifiable as non-native speakers even after years of study.
Learning the correct use of prepositions depends on encountering as many examples as possible, which requires reading, listening, and practising.
Below, you will find illustrations of prepositions of place and movement. Use the illustrations to make your own rules for how to use these prepositions.
Note that there are several other forms of prepositions besides the two illustrated here. You can learn more about prepositions by visiting for example Grammarly: link to the Grammarly webpage's article about prepositions (grammarly.com), or Khan Academy: link to Khan Academy's resources about prepositions (khanacademy.org).
Fill in the correct prepositions:
The following prepositions are used in the sentences: by, among, towards, under, against, above, beside. Each preposition is used once.
Drag the correct preposition into the correct box:
Make a preposition quiz for your classmates.
Pick one of the following headlines and write a short text (250-300 words).
When you have written the text, highlight all the prepositions you have used. Ask a classmate or your teacher to check your work.
An unusually exciting volleyball game.
The time I fell off the boat.
The hero among the cowards.
Just another day at school.
Translate the following sentences from Norwegian to English.
When you have finished, write a short text where you discuss why the correct use of prepositions can be difficult to master.