in, on, at, by, for, with, from, to, under, over, between, among, through, during, since, until
💡KEY RULES FOR TIME PREPOSITIONS
• AT - specific times (at 5 PM, at noon, at night)
• ON - days and dates (on Monday, on 15th August)
• IN - months, years, seasons (in January, in 2023, in summer)
• SINCE - starting point (since morning)
• FOR - duration (for 2 hours)
• BY - deadline (by evening)
• DURING - throughout a period (during the match)
KEY RULES FOR PLACE PREPOSITIONS:
• AT - specific points (at home, at the station)
• ON - surfaces (on the table, on the road)
• IN - enclosed spaces (in the room, in Delhi)
• ABOVE/OVER - higher position
• BELOW/UNDER - lower position
• BETWEEN - two things (between you and me)
• AMONG - more than two (among friends)
🔢
Formula Block
Memorise — at least one formula appears in every paper
Time Formula: AT (specific) → ON (days) → IN (periods)
Place Formula: AT (point) → ON (surface) → IN (space)
Movement Formula: TO (destination) / FROM (source) / THROUGH (passage)
📊
Exam Patterns
What examiners ask — read before attempting PYQs
📋SSC CGL typically tests prepositions through
1
First blank needs specific time → use AT
2
Second blank needs specific day → use ON
Answer: 'The meeting is scheduled AT 3 PM ON Monday.'
WORKED EXAMPLE 2:
Question: 'He has been working ___ the company ___ 5 years.'
1
First blank shows association → use FOR or IN or WITH
2
'working in the company' is correct (enclosed workspace)
3
Second blank shows duration → use FOR
Answer: 'He has been working IN the company FOR 5 years.'
SHORTCUT 2 - FIXED PREPOSITION PAIRS:
• Different FROM (not 'different than')
• Consist OF (not 'consist in')
• Comply WITH (not 'comply to')
• Capable OF (not 'capable to')
SHORTCUT 3 - MOVEMENT PREPOSITIONS:
• INTO = movement inside (walked into the room)
• ONTO = movement on surface (climbed onto the roof)
• Use TO for destination, FROM for source
COMMON MISTAKE #1 - THE BIGGEST TRAP:
Students confuse IN and AT for places
💡Remember
Use IN for cities/countries (in Mumbai, in India) but AT for specific locations (at the airport, at school). This confusion appears in 60% of preposition questions
⚠️OTHER COMMON ERRORS
• Writing 'on time' vs 'in time' - 'on time' means punctual, 'in time' means before deadline
• Using 'from' instead of 'since' for time - use SINCE for point of time, FROM for place
• Mixing up 'between' and 'among' - use BETWEEN for two items, AMONG for more than two
The key to mastering prepositions is practice and memorizing fixed combinations. Many prepositions don't follow logical rules - they must be learned through repetition.
In the following sentence, one part is underlined. Identify the part that contains an error.
The committee has decided (A) / to proceed with the project (B) / in accordance to (C) / the new guidelines. (D) / No error (E)
Practice 2easy
In the following sentence, identify the error (if any):
The committee has decided (A) / to proceed with (B) / the project despite (C) / of the budget constraints. (D) / No error (E)
Practice 3easy
In the following sentence, one part is underlined. Identify the part that contains an error.
The organisation is committed (A) / towards providing (B) / quality education (C) / to underprivileged children. (D) / No error (E)
Practice 4easy
In the following sentence, one part is underlined. Identify the part that contains an error.
The report focuses (A) / on the issues (B) / related with environmental (C) / degradation in urban areas. (D) / No error (E)
Practice 5easy
In the following sentence, one part is underlined. Identify the part that contains an error.
The manager insisted (A) / on the employees (B) / completing the project (C) / before the deadline. (D) / No error (E)
Practice 6easy
In the following sentence, one part is underlined. Identify the part that contains an error.
The students are looking forward (A) / to attending (B) / the conference (C) / in next month. (D) / No error (E)
Practice 7easy
In the following sentence, one part is underlined. Identify the part that contains an error.
The committee has agreed (A) / to the proposal (B) / that was submitted (C) / by the research team. (D) / No error (E)
Practice 8easy
Choose the correct preposition to fill in the blank: The train will arrive ___ the station at 9 o'clock.
Practice 9easy
In the following sentence, one part is underlined. Identify the part that contains an error.
The manager insisted (A) / on the employees (B) / completing their reports (C) / before the deadline. (D) / No error (E)
Practice 10easy
Choose the correct preposition to fill in the blank: She has been waiting ___ the bus stop for nearly an hour.
Practice 11easy
In the following sentence, four parts are underlined. Identify the part that contains an error.
The committee members agreed (A) / to work on (B) / the project during (C) / the next three months. (D) / No error (E)
Practice 12easy
In the following sentence, four parts are underlined. Identify the part that contains an error.
The company has invested (A) / in new technology (B) / to improve (C) / productivity at the workplace. (D) / No error (E)
Practice 13easy
In the following sentence, four parts are underlined. Identify the part that contains an error.
The research team is working (A) / towards developing (B) / a solution for (C) / the environmental crisis. (D) / No error (E)
Practice 14easy
In the following sentence, four parts are underlined. Identify the part that contains an error.
The manager insisted (A) / on the employees completing (B) / their reports before (C) / the deadline. (D) / No error (E)
Practice 15easy
In the following sentence, four parts are underlined. Identify the part that contains an error.
The students are looking forward (A) / to attending (B) / the seminar at (C) / the university auditorium. (D) / No error (E)
Practice 16easy
In the following sentence, one part is underlined. Identify the part that contains an error.
The team has been working (A) / at the project (B) / for the past three months (C) / to meet the deadline. (D) / No error (E)
Practice 17easy
In the following sentence, identify the error (if any):
The students are looking forward to (A) / attend the annual (B) / conference scheduled (C) / for next month. (D) / No error (E)
Practice 18easy
In the following sentence, one part is underlined. Identify the part that contains an error.
The committee has agreed (A) / to the proposal (B) / which was submitted (C) / by the finance department. (D) / No error (E)
Practice 19easy
In the following sentence, one part is underlined. Identify the part that contains an error.
The report is based (A) / on the data (B) / which was collected (C) / during the survey in last month. (D) / No error (E)
Practice 20easy
In the following sentence, identify the error (if any):
The research team is working at (A) / solving the problem (B) / related to (C) / environmental pollution. (D) / No error (E)
38 more practice questions in the Study Panel
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