Preposition Errors: 15 Common Mistakes People Make when Using English Prepositions

Preposition Errors! A preposition connects nouns and pronouns and serves to provide necessary details that tell the
reader when, where, or how something occurred. For example, the most common prepositions are: of, in, to, for, with,
on. If you make an error when using a preposition, it is very noticeable and can sound like broken English.

Preposition Errors
Mistake #1

It is considered poor grammar to end a sentence with a preposition. While this point has been argued at length since it
may sound better to end a sentence with a preposition in some cases, it is still considered grammatically incorrect. For
example:

Incorrect: Where is my phone at?

Correct: Where is my phone?

Mistake #2

While prepositions help form a sentence, sometimes people go overboard and include too many. This can make the
sentence seem redundant and too wordy.

Incorrect: The expression of the teacher was impatient.

Correct: The teacher’s expression was impatient.

Mistake #3

You can never use the preposition “of” rather than “have.” This is one of the most common mistakes people make
without even realizing.

Incorrect: I should of gone to the movie.

Correct: I should have gone to the movie.

Mistake #4

Using the phrase “like” liberally will make your writing sound sloppy. Instead you should use pronouns such as “as if” or
“as though.”

Incorrect: She looked like she was tired.

Correct: She looked as though she was tired.

Mistake #5

When referring to motion, it is grammatically correct to say “into” rather than “in.”

Incorrect: I jumped in to the river.

Correct: I jumped into the river.

Incorrect: He threw the ball in the basket.

Correct: He threw the ball into the basket.

Mistake #6

If you are comparing nouns by using the word different, you must follow it with the word from. People sometimes say
“different than” instead of “different from.” Although it is not technically a grammatical error; it is better grammatical
form to use from.

Incorrect: Your family is different than mine.

Correct: Your family is different from mine.

Mistake #7

Infinitives are the basic forms of verbs. Whenever you use an infinitive in a sentence, it must be accompanied by a
helping verb.

Incorrect: He wants see the Alps in Switzerland.

Correct: He wants to see the Alps in Switzerland.

Mistake #8

When discussing time, the two prepositions you use are “for” and “since.” When using the word “for” you are measuring
time and when using the word “since” you are referring to a specific time.

Incorrect: She had been driving since four hours.

Correct: She had been driving for four hours.

Incorrect: I haven’t seen him for last year.

Correct: I haven’t seen him since last year.

Mistake #9

Quantifying an action calls for the use of the words “about”, “around”, “Up to” has a different meaning—it means “as
much as,” not “approximately.”

Incorrect (if you mean “approximately”): I used up to 3 cups of flour to make the cookies.

Correct: I used about/around 3 cups of flour to make the cookies.

Mistake #10

Misusing the word “at” and “to” is another preposition error that happens frequently. “At” refers to where things are,
and “to” describes another location. Mixing these up can result in a very confusing sentence.

Incorrect: They arrived to the school.

Correct: They arrived at the school.

Incorrect: We went at the mall.

Correct: We went to the mall.

Mistake #11

Prepositions most often follow a noun or pronoun to create a cohesive sentence. However, there are exceptions that also
require a preposition in order to make sense. For example, “afraid of”, “love of”, “concern for”, “study for” and “worry
about.” If you do not follow these with a preposition your sentence will not make sense.

Incorrect: I am afraid sharks.

Correct: I am afraid of sharks.

Incorrect: I made sure to study my exam.

Correct: I made sure to study for my exam.

Mistake #12

When it comes to timing, “in” and “for” can be used for general measurements, while “on” or “at” are required for
specific dates.

Incorrect: He showed up for midnight.

Correct: He showed up at midnight.

Incorrect: Sarah made sure to be home at dinner.

Correct: Sarah made sure to be home for dinner.

Mistake #13

If you are discussing a specific place or address you have to use the word “at.” No other preposition can be used in its
place.

Incorrect: The school is located in the main intersection.

Correct: The school is located at the main intersection.

Mistake #14

When referring to specific regions, the only preposition you can use is the word “in”. This goes for continents, countries,
towns, and any other geographic region.

Incorrect: The most delicious baguettes can be found at France.

Correct: The most delicious baguettes can be found in France.

Mistake #15

One of the less common errors people make when using a preposition is following it with a verb. If you follow a
preposition with a verb it must have “-ing” at the end.

Incorrect: I slept before run.

Correct: I slept before running.

Examples of some other common MISTAKES with PREPOSITIONS and how to correct them.
Exercises:

1. There were fifty rooms __ the hotel.

2. I play cricket __ the Lion’s Cricket Club every weekend.

3. The flight was fine, but the food __ the plane wasn’t good.

4. I first saw the newly-launched phone in the shop __ MG Road.

5. The meeting between the two head of the states will take place __ Race Course Road.

6. Hurry up, we’ve to leave __ five minutes.

7. I don’t like traveling __ night.

8. I liked the book so much that I finished it __ a day.

9. I’m going for lunch and will be back __ 30 minutes.

10. Smith is busy __ the moment.

11. Michael Phelps won eight gold medals __ Beijing in 2008.

12. I went to see him off __ the station.

13. After the train left, it started to rain. So I took shelter __ the station.

14. I’ve got __ to the train and will reach Bangalore by 6 PM.

15. There was a security alert __ the airport.

16. Take a left turn __ the roundabout.

17. I see a spider __ the door.

18. Show me what’s there __ your bag.

19. There are plenty of fish __ this pond.

20. What time do you usually arrive __ work?

Exercise 2 (By/ Until)

1. The phone bill has to be paid __ Friday.

2. Don’t pay the bill today. Wait __ tomorrow.

3. The book fare is open __ 05 April.

4. If you want to get books at a discount, get them __ 05 April, the last date of the book fare.

5. You have to bring my car back __ the end of the month.

6. You can borrow my car __ the end of the month.

7. I waited for him __ 8:30 AM, and then I left for the office alone.

8. I’ve to leave for office __ 8:30 AM.

9. I’ve given myself __ June to find a job.

10. I’ve to find a job __ June.

11. I waited for my friend __ 5 PM, but he didn’t turn up.

12. My friend didn’t turn up even __ 5 PM.

13. You’ve to submit your assignment __ Thursday noon.

14. You’ve __ Thursday noon to submit your assignment.

15. Please return my book __ Sunday evening.

16. You’ve __ Sunday evening to return my book.

17. Most people left the party __ 2 AM.

18. The party went on __ 4 AM.

19. I’ve taken a resolution to not drink __ the end of year.

20. I’ll return your money __ the end of the year.

Exercise 3 (During/ While/ For/ Over)

1. Industrial production has expanded __ the last three decades.

2. Someone came to meet you __ you were out.

3. We watched TV __ two hours.

4. __ his visit, the Pope will also bless the new hospital.

5. I lived in London __ two years.

6. I went to Scotland twice __ my stay in London.

7. I’ll be at home __ the weekend. We can meet then.

8. I visited my home town after many years. __ those years, a lot had changed.

9. I watched five movies __ I was ill.

10. The castle was built __ tenth century.

11. There were many interruptions __ the chief guest’s speech.

12. Can you prepare the dishes __ I fetch milk from the nearby store?

13. I was ill __ few days last week.

14. I hurt my leg __ climbing stairs.

15. I didn’t miss a single class __ my first year.

16. Most students looked bored __ the lecture.

17. Because I had to reach home before dinner, I could stay with my friends __ just two hours.

18. I visited most places of touristic interest __ my stay in Paris.

19. You shouldn’t look directly at the Sun __ an eclipse.

20. __ a pause in the conversation, I excused myself and left for home.
Exercise 4

1. He was shot __ a pistol.

2. He wiped his face __ a tissue.

3. I prefer watching sporting events __ television than see them live in the stadium.

4. Japanese trains are almost always __ time.

5. My immunity to common cold is low, especially __ winter.

6. Would you like anything to drink __ your meal?

7. There is someone __ the door. Go and check who he is.

8. The fog was so thick that it was like walking __ the clouds.

9. The kid was so short that he couldn’t see __ the steering wheel.

10. The thieves climbed up the drain pipe and entered the house __ the window.

11. I somehow made it __ the road unscathed despite so much traffic.

12. We made our way to the first camp of our trek __ a narrow trail.

13. She drew a line __ the map.

14. I saw the dog scrambling __ the road.

15. There were hardly any American brands __ the cars in the parking.

16. The presenter drew a line __ the whiteboard to separate the two sets of data.

17. We had lunch at a restaurant on our way __ the airport.

18. The meeting was supposed to start at 9 AM, but it didn’t start __.

19. I got home just __ to escape the heavy rain.

20. Mr. Smith is busy __ present.

Exercise 5

1. X: When are you coming back? Y: ___ Friday.

2. He’s ___ a vacation. He’ll be back ___ a week.

3. X: When did you come? Y: I’ve been here ___ 6 PM.

4. He came to see you ___ you had gone to college.

5. I bought the pen ___ one dollar.

6. I want to hand ___ the assignment? (About, around, in, of)

7. Many English words come ___ Latin.

8. Kindly take your feet ___ the table.

9. Can you put this picture ___ the wall?

10. Jane is going ___ UK next week.

11. In tennis, you have to hit the ball ___ the net.

12. How far is it ___ here ___ the airport?

13. Can you put this film ___ my camera?

14. The antelope swam ___ the river to escape the predators.

15. We’re going ___ the cinema tomorrow.

16. When did you arrive ___ London?

17. What time does the train get ___ London?

18. What time does the train reach ___ London?

19. I watched the news ___ television.

20. X: The shop is ___ fire. Call fire services.

Exercise 6

1. Let’s meet ___ the morning tomorrow.

2. Let’s meet ___ Friday morning.

3. I’m flying out to Madrid ___ Tuesday.

4. The train left ___ 9 AM.

5. I’m shifting to a new locality ___ summer.

6. Someone is there ___ the window.

7. Munich lies ___ the South of Germany.

8. A fly is sitting ___ his shoulder.

9. Which is the most populous city ___ the world?

10. The shelf is cluttered with too many books ___ it.

11. They’ve been married ___ six years.

12. X: How long did you stay at the party yesterday night? Y: ___ 1 AM.

13. The temperature is five degrees ___ zero. (Over, above, beneath, from)

14. I’m used to working ___ nine ___ nine. (Since, from, for, at)

15. How often do you go ___ the gym?

16. I went ___ my friend’s house, but she wasn’t ___ home.

17. X: What course did you take ___ university? Y: I didn’t go ___ university.

18. He won’t come to the office for another four days, as he is ___ holiday.

19. I attended the conference on digital marketing yesterday. There I met Jennifer ___ the lunch break.

20. Output at the plant went down by almost 40 percent ___ the strike.
Exercise 7

1. We get our salaries ___ the second day of the month.

2. I went shopping ___ Easter Day.

3. The contractor finished the building ___ just 8 months.

4. I went to his place ___ one afternoon last week.

5. I’ve given myself ___ Sunday to finish the assignment.

6. I joined the two pieces together ___ glue.

7. The warehouse is ___ fire.

8. Commercial planes fly ___ around 900 kilometers per hour.

9. We traveled from New Delhi to Agra ___ train.

10. They’re ___ holiday.

11. Some birds incubate eggs ___ its feet.

12. I’m reading book ___ trigonometry ___ L. Loney.

13. The manager has left for the day. You can see him ___ the day after tomorrow.

14. We meet ___ every Sunday morning to play tennis.

15. I got up ___ the night to switch off the TV, which I had mistakenly left on.

16. The cat leapt ___ the fence and escaped.

17. The fog was thick. It seemed like driving ___ the clouds.

18. The path runs high ___ the river and the view is breathtaking.

19. Millions of years ago, Atlantic Ocean was a narrow water body ___ Africa and North America.

20. We first met ___ Sonnet Club.

Exercise 8

1. John was angry with me and didn’t speak to me ___ a week.

2. I play tennis ___ the weekend, but don’t ___ the week.

3. I met more than dozen other travelers ___ my trek.

4. I met more than dozen other travelers ___ I was on trek.

5. Where is John? He should be here ___ now.

6. I didn’t get up ___ half past eight.

7. The fuel price is going to go up ___ August.

8. I’ll see you ___ next Friday.

9. I won’t be in the office ___ Monday morning, but I’ll there ___ the afternoon.

10. I’ll see you ___ Friday.

11. We usually take a holiday ___ the summer.

12. X: Is there anything interesting ___ the newspaper today? Y: Nothing much but for a scoop ___ the second page.

13. My apartment is ___ the second floor. It’s ___ the left when you come out of the lift.

14. The house has another entrance ___ the back.

15. We stayed ___ a Hyatt hotel when we were ___ London.

16. Have you ever been ___ Russia?

17. Are you going ___ John’s birthday party ___ Sunday?

18. I lost my key somewhere, but I managed to climb ___ the house through the back window.

19. We had lunch ___ the airport ___ waiting for our flight.

20. What time did you get ___ home yesterday?

Exercise 9

1. My car is the one ___ bottle green color and scratches ___ the bonnet.

2. I’ve to finish the assignment ___ Sunday.

3. I was exhausted and had my fill ___ the party ___ midnight, but the party continued ___ 3 AM.

4. I was woken up ___ the middle of the night by some noise ___ the kitchen.

5. An old woman was sitting next to me ___ dinner.

6. The military chief grabbed power after a coup ___ the beginning of the decade.

7. It’s traditional here to celebrate ___ the first day of spring.

8. What are you doing ___ Easter?

9. Let’s wrap things up. I’ve to leave ___ quarter past six.

10. Matthew Webb was the first person to swim ___ the English Channel without the use of artificial aids for sport
purpose.

11. I quickly ran comb ___ my hair and entered the interview room.

12. The treaty was signed ___ North and South Korea.

13. The garbage was scattered all ___ the ground, which made for an unseemly sight.

14. I’m stuck ___ the plane because of sudden change in weather.

15. He plays ___ Sonnet Club ___ weekends.

16. There has been a major accident and a resulting pile up of vehicles ___ the highway near Agra.

17. She lives ___ 28 Civil Lines.

18. John lives ___ He is a student ___ National University of Singapore.

19. The exhibition ___ the American Center will remain open ___ Saturday.

20. He wasn’t ___ work today, because he is ill. He is resting ___ home ___ his bed.
Exercise 10

The following paragraphs have been taken from Outliers: The Story of Success by Malcolm Gladwell:

1. Belgium and Denmark are only an hour or so apart ___ airplane, for example. Danes look a lot like Belgians, and if you
were dropped ___ a street corner ___ Copenhagen, you wouldn’t find it all that different ___ a street corner ___ Brussels.
2. ___ the mid-1990s, an experimental public school called the KIPP Academy opened ___ the fourth floor of Lou Gehrig
Junior High School ___ New York City. Lou Gehrig is ___ the seventh school district, otherwise known as the South Bronx,
one of the poorest neighborhoods ___ New York City. It is a squat, gray 1960s-era building ___ the street from a bleak-
looking group of high-rises. 3. Now take a look ___ the last column, which totals up all the summer gains ___ first grade
___ fifth grade. The reading scores of the poor kids go up ___ 0.26 points. When it comes to reading skills, poor kids
learn nothing when school is not ___ session. The reading scores of the rich kids, by contrast, go up ___ a whopping
52.49 points. Virtually all of the advantage that wealthy students have over poor students is the result of differences in
the way privileged kids learn ___ they are not ___ school. 4. What are we seeing here? One very real possibility is that
these are the educational consequences of the differences ___ parenting styles that we talked about ___ the Chris
Langan chapter. Think back to Alex Williams, the nine-year-old whom Annette Lareau studied. His parents believe ___
concerted cultivation. He gets taken ___ museums and gets enrolled ___ special programs and goes ___ summer camp,
where he takes classes. When he’s bored ___ home, there are plenty of books to read, and his parents see it as their
responsibility to keep him actively engaged ___ the world ___ him. It’s hard to see how Alex would get better ___
reading and math ___ the summer.