On is used with days:
* I will see you on Monday.
* The week begins on Sunday.
At is used with noon, night, midnight, and with the time of day:
* My plane leaves at noon.
* The movie starts at 6 p.m.
In is used with other parts of the day, with months, with years, with seasons:
* He likes to read in the afternoon.
* The days are long in August.
* The book was published in 1999.
* The flowers will bloom in spring.
Extended time
To express extended time, English uses the following prepositions: since, for, by, from—to, from-until, during,(with)in
* She has been gone since yesterday. (She left yesterday and has not returned.)
* I'm going to Paris for two weeks. (I will spend two weeks there.)
* The movie showed from August to October. (Beginning in August and ending in October.)
* The decorations were up from spring until fall. (Beginning in spring and ending in fall.)
* I watch TV during the evening. (For some period of time in the evening.)
* We must finish the project within a year. (No longer than a year.)
Place
To express notions of place, English uses the following prepositions: to talk about the point itself: in, to express something contained: inside, to talk about the surface: on, to talk about a general vicinity, at.
* There is a wasp in the room.
* Put the present inside the box.
* I left your keys on the table.
* She was waiting at the corner.
Higher than a point
To express notions of an object being higher than a point, English uses the following prepositions: over, above.
* He threw the ball over the roof.
* Hang that picture above the couch.
Lower than a point
To express notions of an object being lower than a point, English uses the following prepositions: under, underneath, beneath, below.
* The rabbit burrowed under the ground.
* The child hid underneath the blanket.
* We relaxed in the shade beneath the branches.
* The valley is below sea-level.
Close to a point
To express notions of an object being close to a point, English uses the following prepositions: near, by, next to, between, among, opposite.
* She lives near the school.
* There is an ice cream shop by the store.
* An oak tree grows next to my house
* The house is between Elm Street and Maple Street.
* I found my pen lying among the books.
* The bathroom is opposite that room.
To introduce objects of verbs
English uses the following prepositions to introduce objects of the following verbs.
At: glance, laugh, look, rejoice, smile, stare
* She took a quick glance at her reflection.
(exception with mirror: She took a quick glance in the mirror.)
* You didn't laugh at his joke.
* I'm looking at the computer monitor.
* We rejoiced at his safe rescue.
* That pretty girl smiled at you.
* Stop staring at me.
Of: approve, consist, smell
* I don't approve of his speech.
* My contribution to the article consists of many pages.
* He came home smelling of alcohol.
Of (or about): dream, think
* I dream of finishing college in four years.
* Can you think of a number between one and ten?
* I am thinking about this problem.
For: call, hope, look, wait, watch, wish
* Did someone call for a taxi?
* He hopes for a raise in salary next year.
* I'm looking for my keys.
* We'll wait for her here.
* You go buy the tickets and I'll watch for the train.
* If you wish for an "A" in this class, you must work hard.
