Why do we use a with word time

Prepositions of time and place At, In, On — rules of use

The most ancient and popular prepositions in English are in at on. Over the course of many centuries, due to repeated use, these service parts of speech have acquired various functions and semantic meanings. There are many nuances in the use of these words, so they should be taken very seriously, since their misuse, both orally and in writing, can create an awkward situation or question the literacy of the speaker.

The use of the prepositions IN, AT, ON in the meaning of time

The preposition IN is used with months, with the names of the seasons, with the years, with long periods of time (in the 16th century). Examples:

• I’m going on holiday in August. — I’m going on vacation in August.
• Kate left school in 1998. — Katya graduated from school in 1998
• The garden is magic in winter. — In winter, the garden is magical.
• This castle was built in the 13th century. — The fortress was built in the 13th century.

Remember! If a date is specified, then the preposition on is used, not in.

The preposition AT is used to denote the time when it is spoken of hours (at 2 o’clock, at 6 o’clock), certain moments of the day (at lunchtime, at midnight, at noon, at night), weekends / holidays (at Easter, at Christmas). Examples:

• We will meet at 9 o’clock. — We’ll meet at nine o’clock.
• I’ll come back at midday. — I’ll be back at noon.
• People gives presents each other at the New Year. — People give each other gifts on New Years.
• It rains at night. — It rains at night.

Remember! If you mean a specific night, you can also use the time preposition in:

• Christmas is coming. All the dreams come true in the night. — Christmas is coming. All dreams come true on this night.

Remember! American English is spoken on the weekend, not at the weekend.

Also, the preposition AT in English is used in fixed expressions that need to be memorized:

• at the moment — at the moment
• at present — currently
• at the same time — at the same time
• at that / the time — at that / specific time
• at the age of — at the age of years

Example: He is sleeping at the moment. He is currently asleep.

The preposition ON is used before dates (September 5, May 16), days of the week (Wednesday, Saturday, Friday), and special dates (birthday, wedding, etc.). Example:

• He was born on March 10. — Born on March 10.
• Call me on Saturday. — Call me on Saturday.
• Who will come on your birthday? — Who will come to your birthday?

All of the above can be summarized in one table, into which, when performing reinforcement exercises, you can (at first) peep.

In addition, you need to remember the following rules:

Time prepositions are never used with all, this, one, some, that, each, any, last, next, every!

Example:

• He is coming back next Monday. — He’ll be back next Monday.
• I went to Greece last year. — I went to Greece last year.

Time prepositions are never used with the words tomorrow, yesterday, tonight, today.

Example:

• Ann saw them yesterday morning.
• Anna saw them yesterday morning.

Use of prepositions IN, AT, ON in the meaning of place

The preposition IN is used in speech to indicate the position of an object within something: a larger object, a building, a territory — in one word, a closed space.

examples:

• We will go for a walk in the park. — We will take a walk in the park.
• My coins are in my purse. — My coins are in my wallet.

The preposition IN is also used when designating a place of work, but with one amendment.

examples:

• He works at Tate. “He works at the Tate.
• He works in a shop — He works in a shop.

While the proposals refer to one location, the former refers to the company itself, while the latter refers specifically to the place of work.

Remember! These phrases need to be memorized:

• work on a farm — to work on a farm, BUT work in a factory — to work in a factory.

The preposition IN should be used when specifying the location of an object inside a building:

Example:

• It was rainning, so I decided to shelter in the cafe. — It was raining, so I decided to hide in a cafe.

Both the preposition in and on are used before the names of the roads.

Example:

• The Petrol Station is on / in Wood Road. — The gas station is on Wood Road.

The preposition IN is used before the names of cities and countries: in Greece, in Russia, in London.

The preposition ON in the meaning of a place must be used when designating an object that is on a flat surface or in contact with it (on the celling — on the ceiling; on the wall — on the wall; on the floor — on the floor, etc.)

Example:

• John built the cottage on the lake. — John built a cottage on the lake.
• I saw a big stone on the road. — I saw a large stone on the road.

As for moving around by transport, here they use both the preposition in and on, depending on the meaning. Let’s look at some examples:

• He is going to come on a train. — He’s going to come by train.
• Alice was in the train when I’ve come to meet her. — Alice was on the train when I came to meet her.

In the first case, the use of a certain type of transport is implied, and in the second, the fact of being inside the vehicle itself. An exception is the phrase «in a car» — «in the car». The preposition in is always used here.

The preposition AT is usually used when referring to a specific place or point, rather than an area or unlimited abstract territory.

examples:

• There were a lot of directors at a festival. — There were many directors at the festival.
• I met her at Mary’s Birthday. — I met her at Mary’s birthday.

As you can see, in the phrases at a festival and at Mary’s Birthday, the preposition indicates a specific place.

The preposition AT is also used before the names of cities, implying institutions located there or large-scale events taking place there.

examples:

• There were a lot of well-known people at London Theater Festival. — Many famous people attended the festival in London.
• Many well-known people live in London. — Many famous people live in London.

The difference is understandable even for those who do not yet have deep knowledge of English or those who know little about the theatrical life in London. London in the first case is part of the name of the event (London Theater Festival), and in the second it means the city itself.

The preposition AT is used before the names of educational institutions, shortening and hiding their full name.

Example:

• I study at Moscow (The University of Moscow). — I study at the University of Moscow.

Compare:

• I study in Moscow. — I study in Moscow (meaning the city itself).

You can use the preposition AT when talking about various organizations:

Example:

• She works at L’Oréal. “She works at L’Oreal.

The preposition AT is used before the name of buildings and structures when they act as specific points or landmarks: at school, at the dentist’s, at the supermarket, at the shop etc.

It is also recommended to use the preposition AT, when it is not the building itself that is meant, but the action taking place in it:

Example:

• Tom was at the planetarium yesterday. “Tom was at the planetarium yesterday.
• Robbie eats at McD on Friday. — Roby eats at McDonald’s on Fridays.

The preposition AT precedes the digits when specifying the address.

Example:

• Their house is at 36 Park Avenue. “Their home is on 36th Park Avenue.

The preposition AT is placed before the name of a street when an institution is indicated on it.

Example:

• The presidents were meeting today at Downing Street. — Today the Presidents met in Downing Street.

In this case, we mean the residence of the Prime Minister of Great Britain, located at this address, and not the street itself.

However, when referring to the financial institution on Wall Street, they speak on Wall Street.

And one more nuance when using the preposition AT: according to the general rule, it always follows the verb “arrive” (to arrive).

Example:

• We arrived at the station in time. — We arrived at the station on time.

But if we are talking about arriving in a large city / metropolis, then the preposition IN is used.

• The airplane arrives in Chicago at 14.20. — The plane arrived in Chicago at 14.20.

Prepositions IN, AT, ON in stable expressions

Phrases and phrases formed in a certain period of history and not changing for a long time are called fixed expressions. There are no clear rules for using prepositions in such constructions, so they need to be memorized. Here are the most common ones:

• in somebody’s opinion — in the opinion of someone;
• in fact — in fact, in fact, in fact;
• in case — in case;
• on the radio / television — on radio / television;
• on holiday / business / a trip / an cruise etc. — on vacation / on a business trip / on a trip / on an excursion / on a cruise, etc;
• at last — finally.

examples:

• Cafe is closed. The stuff is on holiday. — The cafe is closed. Staff on vacation.
• In my opinion he is very clever boy. — In my opinion, he is a very smart boy.
• The sky was cloudy and I took my umbrella just in case. — It was cloudy in the sky, and I decided to take my umbrella just in case.
• I’ll hear her speech on the radio tomorrow. “I’ll hear her speech on the radio tomorrow.
• At last, I read this book till the end. — Finally, I read this book to the end.

Reinforcement exercises

Insert suitable prepositions for the time.

1. I’m busy the moment. 2. He will come back an hour. 3. We will go to New York next week. 4. They got married June. 5. Do you work Saturdays. 6. Let’s meet 7 pm tomorrow. 7. I call parents every Sunday. 8. The bus leaves ten minutes. 9. I’ll get my money the end of the month. 10. I go to the gym Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays.

Answers: 1. at, 2. in 3. sentence is complete 4. in 5. on 6. at 7. sentence is complete 8. in 9. at 10. On

Translate the following sentences into English.

1. He will go to work on Saturday. 2. We will arrive at 8 o’clock. 3. She was born in July. 4. The store opened in 2003. 5. They got married on September 12th. 6. We will go skiing this winter.

Complete the sentences with suitable prepositions.

1. Do you sometimes watch TV ____ the mornings? 2. Are you usually at home ____ 7 o’clock ____ the evenings? 3. Do you sometimes work ___night? 4. What do you usually do ____ weekends? 5. Do you usually go shopping ____ Saturdays? 6. Do you go skiing ____ the winter? 7. Do you have a holiday ____ December? 8. Is there a holiday in your country ____ 6, January?

Answers: 1 in, 2 at / in, 3 at, 4 at (Br. E) or on (Am. E), 5 on, 6 in, 7 in, 8 on.

Source: https://englishfull.ru/grammatika/predlogi-vremeni-i-mesta-at-in-on.html

Postpositions in English

Postpositions in English are prepositions that are placed after verbs and, together with them, form a whole expression with a different meaning. Verbs paired with postpositions are also called phrasal verbs or compound verbs. Most phrasal verbs need to be memorized in practice. They allow you to express a thought more succinctly and concisely, therefore they are constantly used in conversations (recently, even in formal, purely business conversations).

In the Russian language there are also «pairs», similar to English phrasal verbs, they are called prefix verbs. Prefixes in Russian and postpositions in English most often specify the direction of action in space.

For example, we can designate the direction of movement with the prefix take-off or postposition fly up, you-go or drive out, pick up — pick up and so on. Even if the phrasal verb does not have a direct connection with space, this connection can still be traced. For example, bring over can literally be perceived as overcoming a boundary, moving through something. That is, to overpersuade means to transfer the opinion of the interlocutor to your side.

Some phrasal verbs are based on people’s idea of ​​time, which develops linearly: the past is behind, the future is ahead. In this case, the postpositions ahead and forward express the idea of ​​the future, while back and behind are the idea of ​​the past.

I’m looking forward to seeing them again.

The house dates back to the 16th century.

Problems in English are «perceived» as physical obstacles that stand in our way. Ideomatic phrasal verbs are just built on the fact that we «bypass» these problems, «push» them away or «get over» them, as if they are tangible.

They skirted around the issue.

He brushed aside my objections.

Phrasal verbs are not easy to learn because their meaning is not obvious. In addition, the language is constantly changing, and more and more new phrasal verbs appear in it: contract out, separate out, quieten down, freshen up, pretty up, eye up and down. Nevertheless, postpositions stand out, the meaning of which, when paired with different verbs, remains relatively unchanged.

For example:

• the postposition up is able to indicate the «completion, end» of the action in the verbs drink up — to drink to the bottom, eat up — to eat everything, break up — to stop;
• the postposition off adds the meaning of «obstruction, delimitation» in the verbs block off — to close, cut off — to cut off, wall off — to fence off;
• the postposition down indicates the completion of the action in the verbs break down — to destroy, close down — to close, hunt down — to catch.

At the same time, the meaning of some phrasal verbs cannot be determined by their components, since as a result of the development of the language, the connection between the content and the composition of the phrase was lost: take somebody in (deceive someone), give something up (give up doing something), let somebody down Such phrasal verbs are called idiomatic.

Examples of the use of phrasal verbs in different contexts

Put back Put out

put back a meeting (reschedule meeting) The meeting has been put back to next Thursday	put out a fire / cigarette (extinguish fire / cigarette) It took firefighters several hours to put out the fire
put back a clock (put the clock) Could you put the clock back?	put out the rubbish / garbage (take out the trash) The bin is full. Put the rubbish out, please
put out the washing (hang up the washed laundry) The weather is great so put the washing out!
put out information / statistics / a statement (publish information, make a statement, make an announcement) The police department has put out a statement apologizing for its officers’ conduct

Nouns based on phrasal verbs

On the basis of phrasal verbs in English, adjectives and nouns are often formed: getaway, breakup, meltdown, layoff, and so on.

Phrasal verb and noun Example of usage

to let down — lower, weaken; disappointa let down — slowdown; deterioration; disappointment	I’m counting on you — don’t let me down! The ending of the book was a real let-down.
to set back — to detain, interferea set-back — delay; recession; downgrade	The cultural revolution set back the modernization of China by many years. The recent crime figures are a major setback for

In English, two ways of writing nouns formed from phrasal verbs are used: together (takeaway and runaround) or through a hyphen (take-away and run-around).

The meaning of most of these nouns is easy to determine if you know the meaning of the original verb expression. So, takeaway (food to go or a restaurant that prepares food to go) is formed from the corresponding verb phrase take away (buying ready-made food in a restaurant to eat it at home or on the street).

Such nouns are often used with the verbs make, give, get, have, do, and keep. For example, make a getaway, give a send-off, keep a look-out. Some words turn out to be so popular and easy to use that they are transferred to other languages. For example, the word «pickup» appeared in the Russian language for a long time, which means both a model of a small truck and a method of quickly meeting girls.

List of common verbs with postpositions

The easiest way to learn phrasal verbs is in context or in groups. For example, all phrasal verbs formed from give with prepositions.

• Get away — to leave, run away, slip away
• Get down — lower, lower
• Get in — get in, penetrate, enter
• Get off — leave, leave, carry away, delete, go away!
• Get on — sit on / in, continue, proceed to
• Get out — get out, get out, get out
• Get up — get up, wake up
• Go away — to leave, to leave
• Go off — run away, fly away, leave, leave
• Go in — enter
• Go on — go on, go on, go on!
• Go through — go through, study thoroughly, repeat
• put in — insert
• Put on — put on, put on, turn on
• Put down — lower, put
• Put up — build, raise, finance
• Take away — take away, take away, take away
• Take off — leave, leave, take off
• Take in — to shelter, let in, perceive, absorb
• Turn around — to turn around
• Turn into — turn into someone or something
• Turn on — enable
• Turn off — turn off, turn, turn off
• Turn out — find out, turn out, turn out
• Walk in — enter
• Walk out — plan, figure out, understand
• Walk away– go away
• Walk off — go away
• Walk up — come up

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Source: https://www.english-language.ru/articles/grammar/poslelogi-v-anglijskom-yazyike/

Time prepositions: IN AT ON

We continue talking about prepositions. In English, there are three main prepositions of time: IN, AT, ON, and in Russian we have two main prepositions B and HA. This is the reason for most of the errors. Today we will consider those cases of using the prepositions IN, AT, ON, which cause the greatest difficulty for students.

The preposition AT is used:

• to indicate time (time):

at six o’clock, at half past six, at ten to six

• with the names of holidays (holidays), if we mean a period of time, and not a specific day, sometimes with the word time:

at Christmas (time), at Easter (time)

• with the words night, midnight, midday, noon, (the) weekend (s):

at night, at midday

• in phrases synonymous with the word now (now):

at the present, at the moment

• with names of days of the week:

on Monday (s), on Saturday (s)

• if the time of day is indicated with a specific day of the week:

on Friday morning (s), on Monday afternoon (s), on Saturday night (s)

• with dates:

on 5th March 2010, on 26th November 1986

• in combinations with the word day:

on my birthday, on Christmas Day

• over the years:

in 1962, in 2012

• with the names of the seasons:

in summer, in winter

• names of months (months):

in December, in August

• in phrases:

in the morning, in the afternoon, in the evening

• in the meaning «through», when we mean a period of time:

in five minutes = in five minutes’ time in three weeks = in three weeks’ time in two months = in two months’ time

in a year = in year’s time   

Time prepositions IN, AT, ON are not used with the words:

• next:

next Monday, next year

• last:

last month, last week

• this:

this morning, this spring

• every:

every day, every Saturday

Both options are correct, but used in different ways.

AT the end of means «at the end of something» and the period must be indicated:

at the end of the week — at the end of the month — at the end of the month

at the end of the year — at the end of the year

With the preposition AT, you can use the word beginning (at the beginning):

at the beginning of the week — at the beginning of the month — at the beginning of the month

at the beginning of the year — at the beginning of the year

IN the end cannot be used with a period of time, because if the preposition in is used, then the phrase means «finally» (finally):

In the end, we started the car. = Finally, we started a car. — In the end, we started the car.

In the end, they reached an agreement. = Finally, they reached an agreement. — In the end, they reached an agreement.

Begining is not the opposite of end in this phrase. The opposite expression is at first:

At first we couldn’t start the car. “They couldn’t start the car at first.

At first they couldn’t reach an agreement. — At first, they could not come to an agreement.

Which is correct: IN TIME or ON TIME?

Both options are translated “on time”.

IN time means «it’s not too late», that there is still time left:

We arrived at the airport in time. — We arrived at the airport on time. (We were in time, there was still time before the flight, we were not late).

Sometimes the word just can be added to reinforce:

They came to the station just in time to catch the bus. “They arrived at the station just in time. (They almost missed the bus, they had little time left).

IN Time can be used in combinations:

— in time to do something:

She came to the theater in time to see my performance. “She came to the theater just in time to see me perform.

— in time for something:

I hope the flowers are delivered in time for her birthday. — I hope that the flowers will be delivered to her birthday on time (delivery will not be delayed).

ON Time — on time, as planned, on schedule, on schedule. We use on time when it comes to punctuality:

All students handed in their reports on time. — All students submitted their essays on time (at exactly the appointed time or day).

I can meet you at 6 o’clock. Please, be on time. — I can meet you at 6 o’clock. Please don’t be late (come on time).

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Source: https://enginform.com/article/predlogi-in-at-on

Prepositions of time in English — in, on, at (for beginners, part 1)

We have already studied the English prepositions of the place in, on, at and now it is time to find out that these same prepositions can be used when we talk about time. Here are the simple rules how to use prepositions of tense in, on, at in English. Their basic principle of use is shown in the table below. However, to remember how it works, you need to run exercises for prepositionswhich you will find in this tutorial. The answers are attached.

Prepositions of time in English in, on, at (for beginners)

I. Pretext in + [length of time]:

in the morning — in the afternoon — in the afternoon

in the evening — in the evening

Exceptions:

1.on that morning — that morning 2.on Friday morning — Friday morning

3.on the morning of the 22d of June

II. Pretext at + exact time (time):

at 5 o’clock — at five o’clock

Exceptions:

1.at night — at night 2.at the beginning of spring — early spring

3.at the end of autumn — at the end of autumn

III. Pretext on + day of the week:

1. on Monday — on Monday
2. on Tuesday — on Tuesday
3. on Wednesday — Wednesday
4. on Thursday — Thursday
5. on Friday — on Friday
6. on Saturday — on Saturday
7. on Sunday — on Sunday

Exception: at (on) the weekends — at the weekend 

* * *

This is general rule for using prepositions of tense in, on, at in English. Based on it, we get the following:

Pretext in also used with months, seasons and years, centuries

• in January — in January
• in winter — in winter
• in 2016 — in 2016
• in 21st century — in the 21st century

Pretext on it is also used with holidays, birthdays and dates, since these are days:

• On what day? — What day?
• on the 15th of March (date) — March 15
• on holiday — on holiday
• on Christmas Day (New Year’s Day) — on Christmas day, on New Year’s
• on my birthday — birthday
• on a weekday — on a weekday
• on working days — on working days
• on a day off — on a weekend
• on a winter day — on a winter day
• on the appointed day — on the appointed day

Pretext at also used with the words:

• at midnight (= 12 am)
• at noon (= 12 noon)
• at the moment — at the moment [/ orange]

* * *

Continue learn prepositions of time in English. Next, I suggest doing a few exercises.

Prepositions of time in English in, on, at (for beginners). Exercises

Exercise 1: Insert Time Prepositions in, on, at

* * *

Exercise 2. Translate into English.

10:31 noon, midnight, night, morning, that morning, afternoon, December, Monday, December 2012, Wednesday, Wednesday morning, 7, Tuesday, summer, 26:23, May , June XNUMX, Sunday evening, on vacation, at the moment, on a summer day, on a day off, on a birthday (XNUMX).

* * *

With words this — this, next — next and last — past no prepositions are used.
EXAMPLES

• this Monday — this Monday
• last week — last week
• next month — next month

Exception: at this moment

* * *

Exercise 3. Translate into English in writing.

1. At 5 o’clock, in the fall, on a hot day, at midnight, at night, in April, August 3, on weekends, on Fridays, on his birthday, in winter, last winter, on April 1, at 6 o’clock, in 1212, in summer , this summer, in the morning, in the morning, this morning, next night, at half past nine, last year, in the evening, last night (25).

2. June, winter day, spring, this spring, weekend, Wednesday, evening, 5 o’clock, noon, afternoon, 2000, Mondays, Monday night, August 2nd, last night, next year , next fall, this night, August, cold winter day, Monday, Tuesday morning, October, weekend, Thursday morning, last week, Sunday afternoon, tomorrow morning, evening. (30 )

* * *

Exercise 4. Translate into English using prepositions at, on, in, to.

To complete this exercise, you need to know simple tenses in English:

1. Last month my aunt didn’t go to work. She got up at ten o’clock and went to bed at midnight. She often went to the theater and to the cinema.

2. But this month she gets up at sunrise because she goes to work again. She works at our university. The academic year at the university begins in September and ends in May. In January and June, students take exams.

Aunt goes to university on Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Saturday. She always works in the library on Monday. She usually drives out of town on Friday. She gets up at seven and goes to the station.

She spends the whole day outside the city and returns to the city at sunset.

3. Next week my aunt will travel to London and next year to New York.

* * *

ANSWERS

Answers are available only to users who have assisted the site.

Source: http://englishinn.ru/predlogi-vremeni-v-angliyskom-yazyike-in-on-at-dlya-nachinayushhih.html

The use of prepositions in English

What I love about English prepositions is the ability to completely change the meaning of the main word with the help of one such small word. It was «look at», but now:

• «look for»
• «to have an opinion» (look upon)
• «look after»
• «forgive» (look over)
• «look to».

Juggling with English pretexts is aerobatics. If you learn this art, you will enrich your vocabulary and generate a buzz of approval with your speech.

Many English learners take pretexts with some arrogance, believing that it is like a student repeating the English alphabet at night. Underestimated. But in vain.

Yes, prepositions are considered official, they do not answer any questions, but they allow you to get different meanings from the same verb, form cases (yes, the same ones that are in Russian) and do other interesting things. There is only one problem: there are a LOT of prepositions in English.

But this does not mean that you need to learn all of them right here and now. It is enough only to know the main ones, as well as to understand the division into groups.

Let’s not waste time on the fact that prepositions are simple monosyllabic, polysyllabic, consisting of several words, blah blah blah. Let’s get down to business and provide not only tables of prepositions in English, but also illustrative examples in pictures. We will also consider the use of prepositions with examples.

1. Prepositions of place and direction (spatial)

It is better to see once than to read the synopsis 100 times:

2. Temporary prepositions

Let’s consider the most basic ones: about, after, at, during, for, in, on, till, within.

about	about (about, about)	It’s about 6 pm
after	after	Summer comes after spring. (Summer comes after spring)
at	в	Let’s meet at 10 am
During	for	She was sleeping during the whole lesson. (She slept throughout the lesson)
for	for	He laughed for 5 minutes. (He laughed for 5 minutes)
in	via	I’ll be home in 10 minutes. (I’ll be home in 10 minutes)
on	by	I usually go shopping on Fridays. (I usually go shopping on Fridays)
to	to	I won’t go shopping till Sunday. (I won’t go shopping until Sunday)
Within	within, for	You must do it within a month. (You have to do it in a month)

because of — because;
on account of — due to, due to;
thanks to — thanks;
in accordance with — according to, in accordance with.

As you can see, the same preposition can be in different groups (for example, in or on are both temporal and spatial). Moreover, if you open any dictionary (well, at least the same Yandex) and select any preposition, you will be surprised at the number of meanings. Let’s say the most commonly used English preposition to can have 13 values ​​(do not be lazy, take a look).

Let’s talk a little about the nuances before inviting you to go into battle the «tests» section, where the first linguistic tests for knowing prepositions await you.

SINGING OFFERS!

Yes, yes, to sing along or even read out. When you get acquainted with the basic excuses, try yourself in the role of Eminem, Timati, or any rapper you like. Not enough ideas for the text yet? Mix up prepositions! Knowing small and remote prepositions is very cool. Check it out by watching the video and feel like a rising rap star.

ENGLISH PROSPECTS AND RUSSIAN PADES. We remember the second class.

• Genitive case (who? What?) — preposition of
Show me the plan of the house.

• Dative case (to whom? What?) — preposition to
Give it to me.

• Accusative case (who? What?) — no preposition
Give me a pen.

• Instrumental case (by whom? What?) — preposition With
She was cutting the letter with scissors.

• Prepositional case (about whom? About what?) — preposition about
Don’t speak about me.

PLACE OFFER IN OFFER

Any excuse, know your place!

• In general, the preposition is supposed to be put BEFORE a noun or pronoun (if the noun has an article or a definition, then you cannot break it)

Put the book on the table.
Give it to me.
The shop is behind the green house.
You must do it with in two months.

• In interrogative sentences (which start with what, where, etc.), the preposition is placed at the end:

What city do you live in?
Who are you waiting for?

• The rest of the cases are associated with the use of prepositions in subordinate clauses, passive constructions. All this will be more relevant to study in the «Syntax» section.

• It is very useful to learn the signs, where the preposition has already merged with a certain noun. Useful in everyday communication.

by	By mistake By accident By chance By the way By bus / train / car Day by day Step by step	by mistake by accident by accident by the way by bus / train / car day after day step by step
for	For a walk / dance / drink / swim For breakfast / dinner	go for a walk / dance / drink / swim for breakfast / lunch
in	In fact In case In future In love In time In the morning / evening / afternoon	in fact, in the event in the future, in love in the morning / evening / afternoon
on	On television On holiday / a trip On foot	on TV on vacation / on foot
at	At home / work At night At present	at home / at work at night

By the way, about the last three pretexts. They won a special place under the sun and formed their own caste — prepositions of place. Why it is necessary to collect a dossier on them no less than on a counterintelligence agent, an article specially devoted to them will tell and prove.

Simple valuable advice: since it is impossible to learn ALL prepositions at the first time of learning (and it is not necessary), when you write out the next new verb from the dictionary, mark yourself at least 2 options with different prepositions.

For example:

Put — put
Put on — to place a bet on (smb., Sm.)
Put across — to deceive

When it becomes a habit, you will one day be happy to find that the use of the verb is masterful: in different meanings for the situation. This will brighten your speech and save you from any pauses and «mmm», «eee», «aaa». In the meantime, the problem exists, then you need to solve it, starting with passing a thematic test on prepositions. 

Have you sorted the prepositions on the shelves in your head? There are spots even on the Sun, so we suggest once again (which is not at all superfluous) to go through the pretexts by watching a video tutorial on the topic. After watching and several years of practice, you can safely assign yourself the honorary title of «guru».

Source: https://iloveenglish.ru/theory/anglijskaya_grammatika/predlog

Hello my wonderful readers!

You can probably guess what is the most frequently used word in English, right? Of course it is the article «the»… And today we will analyze where its use in English is appropriate and where it is not. We will study the rules for its use, look at numerous examples, analyze a table with stable expressions, which you can always have at hand. And then you can go to and to consolidate everything you’ve learned here.

Go ahead, friends!

A little grammar

If the article «a» (about it in detail!) Is used only with nouns that can be counted, then «the» is used with all nouns: and in singular and plural; with both countable and uncountable objects.

By the way, the pronunciation of the article also changes depending on which letter the next word begins with. If the word begins with a consonant, then the article is pronounced as [ðə], for example banana — banana. But if the subject begins with a vowel, then it is pronounced as [ði], for example, the apple — Apple.

When used

• If in speech or writing already mentioned the subject, then in the future you can put this article with it.

I received an e-mail from my friends. The letter told me that they would visit me on the weekend. — I received a letter from my friends. The letter said that they would visit me on the weekend.

• With unique items that are one of a kind, we also use the — the sun, the moon, the Earth.

The moon today is extremely beautiful. — The moon is incredibly beautiful today.

• The article has a very special relationship with place names. With titles rivers, deserts, oceans, island groups and mountain ranges we can confidently use the article, but we must not forget about the exceptions. I am very detailed about them.

The Atlantic Ocean is the most beautiful ocean on the planet. — The Atlantic Ocean is the most beautiful ocean on the planet.

The Comoro Islands attract lots of tourists every year. — The Comoros attracts many tourists every year.

• With titles hotels, cinemas, ships, museums, galleries and newspapers we also use the definite article most often.

The Hilton hotel is about to open in our city. — The Hilton Hotel is about to open in our city.

The Louvre is the most attended museum in Europe. — The Louvre is the most visited museum in Europe.

• With adjectives of the highest degree of comparisons: the most, the best, the worst.

The most beautiful place I’ve ever been is Japan in spring. — The most beautiful place I’ve ever seen is Japan in the spring.

The best books I’ve ever read were about Harry Potter. — The best books I’ve read are Harry Potter.

• With musical instruments and titles dancing.

The violin is my most beloved musical instrument. — The violin is my favorite musical instrument.

The contemporary has become very popular among dancers some years ago. — Contempo became very popular among dancers a few years ago.

When not used

It is extremely important to know when the definite article is used, but it is equally important to know when it is not used up.

• With plural nouns that cannot be countedwhen we tell something common.

Trees produce oxygen. — Trees produce oxygen. (Any trees in general)

• With names own and before names we never use it.

Jinny is very talented. She can play 3 different musical instruments. — Ginny is very talented. She can play three different instruments.

• With titles countries, cities, streets, parks, mountains, lakes, bridges and islands we try to avoid it.

Spain is mostly famous for its football club Barcelona… — Spain is mainly known for its football club Barcelona.

I dream of climbing Everest. — I dream of climbing Everest.

• With titles sports, activities, games, colors, days, months, drinks, dinners he is not friendly.

I can speak Turkish a little. — I can speak a little Turkish.

I was born in July… — I was born in July.

My favorite color is green… — Green is my favorite color.

• If we have pronouns this, that, those — we not use «the» Moreover, with possessive pronouns (and the possessive case in general!) we also do not use it.

This the ball was signed by a famous football player. — This ball was signed by a famous football player.

Kathy’s dress is ready. I’ve already cleaned it. — Casey’s dress is ready. I cleaned it yesterday.

• With words school, church, hospital, college, university, court, prison we use or do not use it depending on the meaning… Let’s see an example:

I go to school from Monday to Friday. — I go to school from Monday to Friday. (as a student)

My mother went to the school for a meeting… — My mom went to school for a meeting. (As a parent, not as a schoolboy)

• With titles diseases we can also use or do not use article.

I’ve got (the) flu… — I got sick.

Stable expressions

Both the and a form stable expressions that cannot be changed in any way. So let’s get to know them (By the way, if you need general information about the articles of the English language, then you).

I am sure that now that you have a tooltip in the form of a table and structured rules in your hands, it will be much easier for you to master the ones that I have prepared for you. And after them you can go to. Practice as much as possible, practice, learn new rules and improve your English.

And I am ready to help you with this. The materials on my blog are constantly updated, and my subscribers receive them even before they appear on the site. I am also waiting for you there, so that I will share important materials with the very first.

And for today I say goodbye.

Prepositions in English are an official part of speech. They reflect the temporal, spatial, causal, or other types of relationship between two significant words. In Russian, cases are used for these purposes, in English, word order and prepositions are used to build a structure. You should study the rules for the use of prepositions in English in order to correctly form sentences.

All English prepositions can be divided into:

• Simple or simple;
• Compound or complex;
• Derived or Manufacturing;

Source: https://chrome-effect.ru/shtory-i-zhalyuzi/kogda-kakie-predlogi-stavyatsya-v-angliiskom-yazyke-predlogi-v-angliiskom/

Prepositions in English — how to use them correctly?

Why are prepositions so important in speech? How to use them correctly? What are the prepositions and how often do we use them in the process of live communication?  

Everyone is used to thinking that there is no part of speech in English, which, at the mere mention of it, can cause nervous tremors and panic, except for the verb. Or rather, irregular verbs in English, which all students of English courses have to learn by heart.

But the verb is not the only part of speech that can throw even the most patient and hardworking student of the language center out of balance. Prepositions in English can compete with English verbs and their use in different tenses in terms of the number of errors in their use.

 Online translators very often interpret phrases with prepositions in the wrong way. 

And although the preposition is an official part of speech, it has a very noticeable effect on the general meaning of the phrase you say or write. Compare: 

• look for — search
• look after — take care
• look over — forgive
• look upon — to have an opinion
• look to — follow

One more example:

• break off — interrupt, separate
• break up — break out, break out
• break out — to part, disperse, stop  

And one more:

• to call — call, call
• to call at — enter
• to call up — call (by phone)

We only changed the preposition, but the meaning of the word changed dramatically. Imagine how many misunderstandings can arise in the process of communication if you use one or another pretext incorrectly. 

Spatial

They are also called prepositions of place and direction:

It will be easier to remember prepositions if you refer to this picture from time to time.

Prepositions in and into 

You may have difficulty using these prepositions. The main thing to remember: phrases with a preposition inusually answer the question where ?: n the cupboard — in the closet. WITHcombining withinto answer the question where? — into the cupboard — into the closet. 

Temporary

The most common temporary prepositions are: 

• about — approximately, about: It’s about 6 pm 
• after — after: summer comes after spring
• at — in (if we are talking about watches): Let’s meet at 10 am
• during — during + noun: She was sleeping during the whole lesson 
• for — over a period of time: He laughed for 5 minutes 
• in — after (or if we are talking about years): I’ll be home in 10 minutes
• on — by (if we are talking about days): I usually go shopping on Fridays
• till — before: I won’t go shopping till Sunday 
• within — within, for: You must do it within a month 

In addition, speech often uses prepositions from — c, from; since — from a certain moment; before — before, before; by — at some point and others.

Causal

• on account of — due to, due to
• because of — because
• in accordance with — according to, in accordance with 
• thanks to — thanks

Types of prepositions by structure

1. Simple: in, for, on.
2. Derivatives (with suffixes and prefixes): across — through, below — at the bottom.
3. Complex (from several roots): into (in + to) inward, upon (up + on) over, without (with + out) without 
4. Compound (from several words): according to — according to, as for — as for 

Prepositions in English and cases in Russian

In English, nouns have no endings. That is why there is no need to learn cases, as in Russian, but it is worth remembering the prepositions that perform in English the function of connecting words into phrases:

• of is used to create genitive (Who? What?)
• to — dative (To whom? What?)
• by / with — creative (Who? What?)

In addition, it is worth noting that you need to be very careful about phrases with prepositions in English and Russian, since in many cases a literal translation is impossible. There are a number of verbs in English that do not require the use of a preposition, while in Russian it is used without fail: 

• to address — contact (to) 
• to follow — follow (for)
•  to answer — answer (to) 

Prepositions in sentences

Positioning a preposition correctly in a sentence is not an easy task. But you can easily cope with it if you remember a few rules: 

1. A preposition that expresses a relationship between two words is placed between them: We are planning to return in September.
2. If there are definitions, the preposition is placed before it: She is sitting under a big old apple tree. 
3. In special questions, this rule may be violated: What are you laughing at? 
4. In an official address, a preposition can be placed before interrogative words: That’s it

Source: https://enguide.ua/magazine/predlogi-v-angliyskom-yazyke-kak-ih-pravilno-ispolzovat

How to understand the prepositions of time and place in English?

Prepositions of time, place, and addition are found in almost every English sentence. Considering that even native speakers are sometimes confused in their use, it is not only important to understand this topic, but also interesting!

Prepositions for a specific moment in time

In English, various prepositions are used to indicate a specific moment in time. Consider the following rules:

When talking about days, the preposition should be used on:

• We will see him on Saturday. — We will see him в Saturday.

• my vacation begins on Monday. — My vacation will begin в Monday.

To indicate half day, midnight, night and hours of the day, use the preposition at:

• Her train arrives at midnight. — Her train arrives в midnight.

• We to walk at night. — We like to walk at night.

• The concert finished at 10 pm — Concert is over в 10 pm.

With the rest of the day, months, seasons and years, use the preposition correctly in:

• Small children usually sleep in the afternoon. — Small children usually sleep during the day.

• The nights are long in January. — В January nights are long.

• The birds leave in late autumn. — Birds fly away in late autumn.

• The town was founded in 1825 — The city was founded в 1825 year.

Prepositions for a period of time

To designate a certain period or process in time in English, it is customary to use the following prepositions: since, for, by, from-to, from-until, During, (with)in… Let’s look at examples:

• They are going to Rome for a week. — They’re going to Rome on a week.

• He has been sick since yesterday. — He is sick with yesterday.

• It often rains in London from February to May. — C February by May it rains a lot in London.

• He will be on important business trip since July until the end of August. — He will be on an important business trip с July by end of August.

• We are going to visit many countries During our vacations. — During the we are going to travel to many countries on vacation.

• He was the first student to finish up the work Within an hour. — He was the first student to graduate for hours.

Prepositions for specifying a place

A number of prepositions are used to define a place in space in English.

If you need to report the presence of an object in any place or in another object, you should use the preposition in:

• There is nobody in the room. — В the room is empty.

• They live in Spain. — They live в Spain.

Pretext inside are used to communicate that an object is inside something that has clear boundaries:

• There is a toy inside the box. — within the box is a toy.

If something is lying on some surface, here you need the preposition on:

• She put the cake on the table. — She put the cake on table.

When talking about a specific location, the preposition is better. at:

• He waited for us right at the bus stop. — He was waiting for us right on bus stop.

Prepositions for specifying the location of an object (above or below something)

In English, when defining an object that is above something or above something, prepositions are used over, above. For example:

• There are clouds over the city. — Above city ​​of clouds.

• There is a painting above the sofa. — Above sofa picture.

In order to describe an object located below or under another object in space, the prepositions should be used under, underneath, beneath, below:

• The cat is hiding under the bed. — The cat is hiding under bed.

• The temperature is 5 degrees below zero. — Temperature — 5 degrees below scratch.

• My pencil was lying underneath the table. — My pencil was lying under table.

Prepositions indicating that the object is near

Prepositions should be used to describe an object that is in close proximity near, by, Next to, between, among

Source: https://skyeng.ru/articles/kak-razobratsya-v-predlogah-vremeni-i-mesta-v-anglijskom

English prepositions and Russian cases

The choice of a preposition in English may also depend on what Russian case is in question. There are six cases in Russian. Here are the prepositions that correspond to them:

1. Nominative (who? What?)

   young woman — This girl wants to buy a bouquet of flowers. (no preposition)

2. Genitive case (who? What?)

   girls — The bouquet of this girl is lying on the table. (preposition of)

3. Dative case (to whom? What?)

   girl — I am giving this bouquet to the girl. (preposition to)

4. Accusative case (who? What?)

   girl — My mother’s this girl… (no preposition)

5. Instrumental case (by whom? What?)

   by girl — This bouquet of flowers is bought by the girl. (prepositions by / with)

6. Prepositional case (about whom? About what?)

   about the girl — I am talking about this girl. (prepositions about / of)

Moreover, many verbs, nouns, adjectives in English are used strictly with certain prepositions. Therefore, these parts of speech should be taught along with prepositions. For example: the verb to wait necessarily requires the preposition for. Or the verb to listen is used only with the preposition to.

The adjective proud (proud) requires the preposition of, and the adjective satisfied (satisfied) is possible only with the preposition with. The same goes for nouns.

After the words advantage / disadvantage (advantage, lack of something) only the preposition of follows, and after the noun damage (damage, harm to someone or something) it is worth putting exactly the preposition to.

The most common prepositions of the English language

The use of prepositions in English implies a mandatory knowledge of their meanings, translation options and areas of application. We will not list all the prepositions of the English language, but will name only a few of the most famous. The meaning of the rest and their connection with certain parts of speech should be clarified additionally.

1. Prepositions of direction:
   • to the left — to the left
   • to the right — to the right
   • up — up
   • down — down
   • off — with
   • onto — on
   • towards — towards
   • away, from — from
   • through — through, through

Source: https://engblog.ru/prepositions

TO before verbs in English

Details Karina Galchenko

: 17 September 2016

25703

: 4/5

In what cases is it necessary to put to before verbs in English? The question is quite sensitive, but you can figure it out. Ever since my school days, I remember the rule «there should always be to between two verbs.» Over time, it turned out that this formula is not so universal, and there are some exceptions. But first things first

When to put to before verbs in English?

First, it is important to learn to distinguish between the preposition to and the particle to. As a preposition, to is used to express the direction of some movement. That is why very often to is used as a preposition after the verbs of movement.

For example:

i went to Europe last summer. — Last summer I went в Europe.

As for the to particle, it usually just indicates that the verb does not stand in any tense. Pay attention to the following suggestions.

Linda wants TO SELL her house. — Linda wants to SELL her house.

We don’t understand what TO DO. — We do not understand what to DO.

They decided TO WRITE one more letter. — They decided to WRITE another letter.

It turns out that the universal rule for using a particle to before verbs in English sounds like this: “use the to particle if the verb does not stand in any tense or person, but simply answers the question“ what to do / do? ”. You can just remember here that the Russian ending «-т» in English turns into a particle «to».

When not to put to before verbs in English?

According to the rule, you cannot use to before modal verbs in English… It’s about can, may, must, should, need. These words do not express an action, but a person’s ability to do something, a probability, advice, an obligation.

examples:

Everyone must be careful at work. — Everyone should be attentive at work.

The children may come back at noon. “The children may be back at noon.

You shouldn’t say anything. “You shouldn’t say anything.

Also, you don’t need to use the to particle after verbs like make and let.

examples:

Let me do this myself. “Let me do it myself.

They made me tell all the truth. “They made me tell the whole truth.

Now you are familiar with the basic rules of when to bet or not. to before verbs in English… If you want to brush up on other grammatical topics or just develop the ability to speak a foreign language, you are welcome to the general / conversational course at school Fluent Inglese… Sign up for a trial lesson! 

Source: http://fluenglish.com/stati/studentam-na-zametku/460-to-pered-glagolami-v-anglijskom.html

Article and time prepositions with days of the week in English

If you have read our article «How to quickly memorize English days of the week», then you know exactly how to pronounce the days of the week in English correctly. However, in order for your speech to sound correct and convincing, you should study what prepositions of the time of the English language are most often used in English days of the week.

Sunday is the golden buckle that crowns the results of the week.

~Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

Today we will talk about the rules for using the days of the week in English with prepositions and articles, give examples of sentences with translation, and tell you what words you can and cannot use the days of the week in English.

Moreover, this article contains various idioms and phrases with days of the week , for which the English language is so rich.

How are the days of the week written in English?

Days of the week in English are always capitalized and used with the preposition on

First, I would like to remind you of the general rules for the use of days of the week in English.

English days of the week are always capitalized: Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday

It is quite difficult to get used to this rule for those who have just started learning English: in Russian, we write the days of the week with a small (capital) letter. True, over time you quickly get used to this unusual rule.

If you are wondering why such a tradition has developed and for what reasons the British have still not changed this rule, we advise you to read the article “Why are the days of the week in English written with a capital letter?”.

Prepositions of time with days of the week in English

With the days of the week in English, the prepositions on, till, by, fromto are used. However, there are other words that are often used with the days of the week in English. Each of them has its own story and its own translation into Russian, which we will now tell you about.

Time preposition on with days of the week in English

The preposition of time on is rightly considered the most popular with the days of the week.

Exactly English preposition on with days of the week allows you to answer the question «When did the action happen, is it happening or will it happen?»

Preposition on and days of the week

on Sunday on Sundays	on sunday on sundays

Source: https://ienglish.ru/blog/grammatika-angliiskogo-iazika/spravochnik-po-angliiskoi-grammatike/article-i-predlog-s-dniami-nedeli-v-angliiskom

The use of prepositions of time in English / at / — / on / — / in / — video lesson

specific time	at	12:30, 3 pmnoon, midnight
day-date	on	Saturday, MondaysNew Year’s Day, Dec. 5-th
monthsseasonsyearsdecadesperiods	in	September the Summer 1995 the 1960s the Middle Ages

Today we will talk about an important element of English grammar — prepositions.

Students are very often confused in the use of one or another preposition, and this is mainly due to the fact that different prepositions are used in different languages ​​in the same cases.

If you also have difficulty using prepositions — don’t worry! Many other English as a foreign language students experience the same difficulties.

This does not mean that you are incapable of learning English.

In some cases there are rules, in others you need to memorize stable expressions, but if you study English regularly, then the correct use of prepositions will be remembered by itself.

Today I am going to tell you about three little words, three prepositions that occur most frequently in English.

These are prepositions: at, on, in.

They can be used as applied to time or place.

In this tutorial, we will look at how these prepositions are used with time.

The preposition ‘at’

This preposition is used in cases where we specify an exact, specific time.

For example:

at 12:30, at 5 o’clock, at 3:55

Those. we are talking about a specific time.

Pretext ‘at’ also used in expressions such as: at midnight, at noon.

The preposition ‘on’

Used when specifying a wider time period than in cases with ‘at’

For example: one day or event (date) — on Saturday, on Mondays

You can for example say:

My yoga class meets on Mondays.

Pretext ‘on’ also used in combination with holidays:

on New Year’s Day.

We’re going to meet on December 5th.

Preposition ‘in’

It is used when specifying the longest period of time from all the prepositions considered.

Sometimes, if you are not sure which preposition to use, you can use the preposition ‘in’, because it covers all periods of time, i.e. used in the broadest sense (in time).

But I advise you to still remember these not tricky rules and use the right prepositions.

So the preposition ‘in’ we use before months, seasons, years, decades or periods of time.

For example:

I was born in September.

I was born in the summer

I was born in 1995.

It happened in the Middle Ages.

уроки

Use of prepositions of place at — on — in

English Joke

«Why do you take baths in milk?»
«I can’t find a cow tall enough for a shower.»

Source: https://www.lovelylanguage.ru/grammar/video-lessons/107-time-and-prepositions-at-on-in

Prepositions in English — everything on the shelves

HomeGrammarPrepositions in English

A preposition is a service part of speech, which usually stands in front of a noun or pronoun in a sentence and serves to express spatial, temporal, causal, target and other relationships between significant words.

In Russian, these relations are expressed using case endings or case endings and prepositions. In English, cases are absent (with the exception of the possessive), and the main means indicating the connection of words in a sentence is a preposition.

Prepositions in English, like other service parts of speech, are not used independently and do not change, and are also not members of a sentence.

English prepositions usually have more than one meaning and therefore can express a variety of relationships that are specified and concretized only in the context of the utterance. Often the use of one or another preposition depends only on the verb that comes before the preposition.

Some verbs form stable combinations with certain prepositions that convey certain relationships:

• to look for — look for someone, something;
• to look after — to look after, take care of;
• to look at — look at.

In addition, prepositions can be part of other stable phrases:
for exemple — for example, in time — on time.

The grammatical function of prepositions

In English, prepositions can express meanings that in Russian are conveyed by the endings of indirect cases: Of — genitive, to — dative, with, by — instrumental.

This is a book of my brother.

In such cases, the preposition has no separate meaning and is translated into Russian only together with the noun or pronoun to which it refers.

A sufficient number of prepositions in English coincide in form with adverbs, and they differ only in their role in the sentence.

A preposition is not an independent part of speech and expresses the relationship between a noun (pronoun), and an adverb is an independent part of speech and determines the verb.
She sat behind me — She sat behind me (excuse).
She was walking behind. — She walked behind (adverb).

Place of a preposition in a sentence

Most often, the preposition comes before the noun or pronoun to which it refers. If a noun has a definition, a preposition is placed before it:
He study at a school — He studies at school.
He study at a large new school — He is studying in a large new school. In certain cases, the preposition appears at the end of a sentence:

1. In special questions that begin with interrogative pronouns who (who), what (what), which (which) and adverbs where (where, where). At the beginning of such a sentence, the preposition is placed in official speech, and in colloquial speech, the preposition is usually at the end of the sentence.

What town do you live in? — What city do you live in?
2. In the attributive clauses:

I know who she is looking for — I know who she is looking for.

3. In cases where the preposition comes after the predicate verb in the passive voice, and after the preposition there is no word to which it refers, the preposition refers to the subject of this sentence.

This film is much spoken about — There is a lot of talk about this film.

4. Such prepositions can occur at the end of the infinitive turnover used as a definition:

They have no place to live in — They have no place to live.

Forms of English prepositions

Source: https://1hello.ru/grammatika/predlogi-v-anglijskom-yazyke-vsyo-po-polochkam.html

by Liz Walter​

Many learners of English have problems with articles (the words a, an and the), especially when they don’t exist in their own language. This blog looks at some of the basic rules.

The number one rule is this: if a word is countable (e.g. one book, two books), you must always use an article (or my, his, etc.):

I read a book. √

I read book.

This is true even if there are adjectives before the noun:

He drives an old car. √

He drives old car.

Never use a or an with a word that is plural (e.g. books, trees) or uncountable (e.g. water, advice):

I asked her for advice. √

I asked her for an advice.

Note that we use a in front of words that start with a consonant sound (a horse, a carrot) and an in front of words with a vowel sound (an apple, an elephant).

The next most important thing to understand is the difference between a/an and the. Basically, we use a/an when we don’t need to say which thing we are talking about. We use the to talk about a specific thing:

I caught a train to London. (it doesn’t matter which train)

The train was late. (that particular train was late)

We often use a when we mention something for the first time, and then change to the when it is clear which thing we are talking about:

He was talking to a man. The man was laughing.

She gave him a present. The present was very expensive.

We also use the when it is obvious which thing we are talking about or when there is only one of something:

Could you shut the door, please?

I cleaned the bathroom this morning.

He travelled around the world.

The sun is hot today.

If you stick to the rules above, you will be correct in almost all cases. However, there are a few exceptions, and the following are the most useful ones to learn:

We don’t use a/an before the names of meals:

We had lunch at noon.

We don’t use a/an before words like school, prison, or college when we are talking about them in a general way:

I hope to go to college.

He spent three years in prison.

With the word ‘hospital’, there is a difference between British and American English:

My brother’s in hospital (UK) / in the hospital (US).

We use the before the names of shops or places where we go for services when they are the ones we usually go to:

I need to go to the supermarket.

She went to the doctor’s.