Prepositions are one of the most crucial parts of English grammar and frequently appear in competitive exams like SSC, Banking, RRB, and State PSC. In this blog, we have provided all the details including the definition of preposition, importance, short notes, flashcards, types, tricks, solved questions from recent exams, for prepositions.
What Is Preposition in English?
A preposition is a word placed before a noun or pronoun to show its relationship with another word in a sentence. Common prepositions include in, on, at, by, for, with, from, to, over, under, about, between, etc.
In exams, prepositions test your knowledge of grammar usage, context, and sentence correction. Candidates need strong observation skills, sentence sense, and grammatical accuracy to solve these questions quickly.
Why Is Preposition Important in Competitive Exams?
Prepositions appear across SSC, Banking, RRB, and State PSC exams in Error Spotting, Sentence Improvement, Fill in the Blanks, and Cloze Test.
| Exam | No. of Questions | Difficulty |
| SSC CGL / CHSL | 1–2 | Easy |
| IBPS PO / SBI PO | 1–2 | Moderate |
| RRB NTPC / Group D | 1 | Easy |
| State PSC / Police | 1–2 | Moderate |
Preposition English Short Notes
Prepositions can be grouped into categories based on usage. The details are provided below:
| Category | Examples | Usage |
| Preposition of Time | in, on, at, since, for | Show when something happens |
| Preposition of Place | in, on, at, under, over | Show position/location |
| Preposition of Direction | to, into, onto, towards | Show movement |
| Preposition of Cause | because of, due to, for | Show reason |
| Preposition of Agent | by, with | Show doer of an action |
| Preposition of Instrument | with, by, through | Show means/method |
Quick Revision Summary
Some of the tips for a quick revision summary to solve questions based on prepositions are as follows:
| Concept | Details |
| Preposition of Time | At 5 pm, on Monday, in 2025 |
| Preposition of Place | At the station, in the park, on the table |
| Preposition of Direction | Go to the market, move towards the door |
| Preposition of Cause | Absent due to illness, failed because of carelessness |
| Preposition with Verbs | Certain verbs require fixed prepositions (e.g., interested in, depend on, capable of) |
| Common Errors | Wrong usage of in/at/on with time & place |
What Are the Types of Preposition Questions in English?
In exams, preposition questions appear in:
- Fill in the blanks: Choose correct preposition.
- Error spotting: Identify wrong preposition.
- Sentence improvement: Replace incorrect preposition.
- Cloze test: Multiple blanks with prepositions.
- Reading comprehension: Contextual preposition usage.
Preposition Question Patterns in English
Some common question patterns:
- Fixed usage patterns: e.g., good at, fond of, proud of.
- Idioms & Phrases with prepositions: in lieu of, by virtue of, in spite of.
- Confusing pairs: in/at, since/for, on/upon, between/among.
- Time expressions: at night, in the morning, on Monday.
Preposition Tricks for SSC CGL and Other Exams
Useful tricks that will help aspirants to solve questions based on preposition are as follows:
- Remember “at” for point, “in” for enclosed space, “on” for surface.
- Use “since” with point of time and “for” with period of time.
- After different, prefer, superior, junior, senior use “to” not “than.”
- Prepositions never follow verbs like enter, discuss, request.
- Many prepositions are part of phrasal verbs (e.g., look after, give up, put off).
Solved Preposition Questions from 2024–25 Exams
Q1. (SSC CGL 2024, Tier 1 Shift 2 – Memory Based)
He has been absent ___ Monday.
- (a) from
- (b) since
- (c) for
- (d) at
Answer: (b) since
Explanation: Since is used with a point of time.
Q2. (IBPS PO Prelims 2024 – Based on Mock Test)
She is good ___ mathematics.
- (a) at
- (b) in
- (c) on
- (d) with
Answer: (a) at
Explanation: Good at is the correct collocation.
Q3. (RRB NTPC 2024 – Memory Based)
The book is lying ___ the table.
- (a) in
- (b) on
- (c) at
- (d) over
Answer: (b) on
Explanation: On is used for surface.
Preposition Concepts for Bank Exams
Bank exams often test preposition-based error spotting with tricky usage. Example:
Wrong – She is superior than him.
Correct – She is superior to him.
Similarly, phrasal verbs and idiomatic preposition usage are frequent in SBI PO and IBPS PO exams.
Common Mistakes to Avoid while Solving Preposition Questions
Some of the common mistakes to avoid while solving questions based on the topic of prepositions are as follows:
- Using since with period of time instead of for.
- Adding unnecessary prepositions (discuss about instead of discuss).
- Confusing in/at/on with place & time.
- Wrong preposition with adjectives (angry with/at/about).
- Ignoring idiomatic phrases with fixed prepositions (in charge of, by means of).
FAQs
By memorizing fixed preposition rules, practicing common collocations, and eliminating wrong options.
In, on, at, by, for, with, from, to, of, about, between, among.
Shows when something happens, e.g., at, in, on, since, for.
Shows reason, e.g., because of, due to, on account of.
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