PREPOSITION: AN INTRODUCTION

Ø  A preposition is a word used to link nouns, pronouns, or phrases to other words within a sentence. 

Ø  It is one of the eight parts of speech.

Ø  It can be found in phrases that act as an adjective or adverb in a sentence.

Ø  The prepositional phrase always starts from a preposition and ends in a noun/pronoun/gerund.

Ø  Prepositional Phrase= preposition+ modifiers+ object of preposition

TYPES OF PREPOSITION

समझने के लिए ये वीडियो जरूर देखें। 

BASED ON FUNCTION

Based on function in a sentence Preposition can be divided into three types

1.      PREPOSITION OF TIME

Preposition of time is used to indicate the point of time at which an event occurs or occurred or will occur. Examples- about, on, in, after, until, between, since, to, before, at, by, etc

1.     I will come at 7:30 pm.
2.     I visited Varansi in January.
3.     Submit this file by Saturday.
4.    The bus is late about an hour.

2.      PREPOSITION OF PLACE

Preposition of place is used to indicate the place of occurrence of an incident. Examples-  In, out, under, above, below, on, at, between, down, up, behind, after, in front of, near, etc

1.     Mother is sitting between Riya and Ayushi.
2.    The cat is under the table.
3.    The tree is behind the house.
4.   The cat standing in the field.

3.      PREPOSITION OF MOVEMENT

Preposition of movement is used to indicate movement to or from a place. Example-  At, by, from, up, down, over, onto, over, after, on, through, onto, etc.

1.   Rohan climbed up a tree.
2.   The cat jumped onto the table.
3.   The police is running after thieves.
4.  The cat ran across the field.
5.   Ramesh went to the market.

(BASED ON STRUCTURE)

1.      SIMPLE PREPOSITION

The simple prepositions have only one word and are used very frequently. These are the most basic type of prepositions which can be understood very easily. Examples-  On, in, from, to, by, near, up, down, near, far, at, before, after, behind, over, above, below, etc.

1.   My laptop is in the office.
2.   Yashika pasted a new painting on the wall.
3.   The water is flowing above the danger level.
4.   My father is coming from the village.

2.      DOUBLE PREPOSITION

The preposition which has two words and they are joined together to make a whole new preposition is called a double preposition. Examples-  Into, onto, within, without, inside, outside, upon, etc.  

1.    He was waiting outside the office.
2.   The ant is creeping onto the wall.
3.    He left the house without tiffin.
4.    Mahi searched the file within the room only.

3.      COMPOUND PREPOSITION

The preposition which has more than one word but they do not come together is called a compound preposition. Examples-  Next to, far from, because of, according to, instead of, in front of, due to, out of, rather than, etc.

1.     My laptop is in front of the bookshelf.
2.    Riyu kept painting next to the front door.
3.    I prefer work rather than sitting ideal.
4.   I took a half-day leave due to an urgent piece of work.

4.      PARTICIPIAL PREPOSITION

Participle preposition is a verb ending with ‘-ing’, ‘-en’ or ‘-ed’, which also acts as a preposition. Examples-  Concerning, failing, considering, regarding, barred, during, accepting, notwithstanding, expecting, following, excluding, regarding, respected, provided, pending, according, barring, between, given, taken, including, owing, etc.

1.    Considering your age, you are very smart.
2.   I do one job during the day and another at night.
3.    Following our agreement, we shall go-ahead according to plan.
4.    My father was asking me about the next assignments.

Exercise

In the following sentences, underline and write the type of preposition-

1.      A beautiful bird is sitting on the branch of that tree.

2.      Sudesha and Leena fought for the crown.

3.      My little pet sat in a corner.

4.      A white rabbit runs through the field.

5.      A fair little girl sat under a tree.

6.      I bring fresh flowers from my garden.

7.      She laid beside me.

8.      I went to Meerut without him.

9.      He died of Malaria.

CORRECT USE OF PREPOSITION

समझने के लिए ये वीडियो जरूर देखें। 

In / Into

'in' is used to indicate a state of being, while 'into' indicates motion.

1. The mechanic walked into the garage.
2. I found a Hindi novel in the drawer.
3. My father drove his car into the garage.
4. My friend lives in this house.
5. The teacher came quickly into the class.
6. The new dresses are in that cupboard. 

On / Onto

'onto' indicates motion where 'on' does not.

1. He threw all the books onto the table.
2. The picture is hanging on the wall.
3. I carefully placed the picture on the wall.
4. My pet is jumping onto the desk.
5. You can find the dictionary on the self.
6. That's a beautiful picture on the wall.

Off / of?

For saying that something has moved away / is situated away / has been removed from something – we use ‘off’ while ‘of’ is used for possession / belong to someone or something.

1. Reema slipped and fell off the roof. (‘fell’ from the roof)
2. I prefer to see a movie of Akshay Kumar. (movie belong to Akshay Kumar)
3. Maya lives in a little house off the main street. (situated away from the main street)
4. This is the shirt of Mohan. (shirt belongs to Mohan )
5. Account of Mr. Sharma is doing well. (Mr. Sharma Possesses an Account)
6. Shweta ripped all the posters off the wall in a fit. (posters were removed)

The word ‘of’ after ‘off’ is generally redundant.

1. Rita fell off of her motorcycle. (Don’t use ‘of’ after ‘off’.)

समझने के लिए ये वीडियो जरूर देखें। 

In / at / on

As a preposition of place,

Ø  ‘In’ is used before a well-known place (very large area),

Ø  ‘at’ is used for a small place while

Ø  ‘on’ is used for a small area and both the things were in contact with each other. 

1. He is living in Meerut, UP
2. The fair was held at Bharatpur.
3. We will be at the station before the arrival of the train.
4. Sita is on the roof.
5. We will sit on the sofa.
6. My next show will be in Singapore.

As a preposition of time,

Ø   ‘in’ is used for a year, week, day times (morning/evening/afternoon, etc),

Ø  ‘at’ is used for clock time (3:00 pm, 1 O’clock, etc), and

Ø  ‘on’ is used for days (Monday/Sunday/Ramnawami, etc.)

1. They met me in 1995.
2. We submitted our project at 4:00 pm.
3. Inspector may come on Saturday.
4. You must submit the report in three weeks.
5. Today, I didn’t take breakfast in the morning.
6. I will deliver a speech on Republic day.

Among / Between

'between' is used when something is placed between two objects while ‘among' is used when something is placed among many objects.

1. The secret was safe between Mohan and Raju.
2. You will find the letter among the papers on the table.
3. In the final match, there was a tie between Mohit and Kuldeep.
4. Arun will be among his friends this weekend.
5. Ayushi and Riya were among the 10 students who cleared NET.
6. Wild mushrooms were hidden among the roots of the tree.
7. There was a big gap between lunch and dinner.
8. The border between India and Pakistan is very sensitive.

Beside/ Besides

‘Beside’ means ‘at the side of/next to’ while ‘Besides’ means ‘in addition to /apart from’

1. She sat beside her friend on the bus.
2. They offered us drinks besides the snacks.
3. Smita can play a lot more tricks besides this one.
4. She didn’t play with anybody else besides Ava.
5. Beena demands Rs 30,000/- besides entry fees.
6. There is so much work to do besides the normal tasks.
7. Come and sit down beside me.
8. Besides bread, we need some rice.

About and on (regarding)

About is used when a discussion is ordinary while ‘on’ is used when a serious or academic topic is concerned.

1. Rohit discussed Mohit about money.
2. Dr. Sharma gave a lecture on anatomy.

Above and over 

Ø  For higher  position- We can use ‘Above’ and ‘over’.

1. Branches swayed above us as we walked down the path.
2. Branches swayed over us as we walked down the path.
3. There is a dark cloud hanging above the Statue of Shri Patel.
4. There is a dark cloud hanging over the Statue of Shri Patel.
5. My coat is hanging above the shirt.
6. The water came up above sea level.
7. Devi temple is above the lake. (The temple is not directly over the lake.)

Ø  For movement and covering something by another one - we use ‘over’.

1. The airplane will pass over the Netsac building. (airplane is in movement)
2. The black thick clouds were running over the village.
3. They climbed over a fence.
4. Ritu threw a green cloth over the plants to protect them from scorching heat.
5. Please put foil over the remaining food.
6. Anita put the shawl over her shoulders.
7. I am wearing a jacket over the shirt.
8. He puts on a coat over his shirt. (NOT He put on a coat above his shirt.)

For expressing ‘more than’-

Ø  ‘over’ is used for quantity while ‘above is used for a fixed number

Ø  For measurements of temperature and height -we use ‘above’.

Ø  For measurements of time, ages, and speeds - we use’ over’.

1. The temperature of the furnace will not rise above 45 degrees Celsius.
2. It went above 90 degrees once again.
3. You have to be over 18 years to give a vote.
4. We have been waiting for over an hour for a table.
5. The game is for children over 10 years of age.
6. Ayushi and Ritu spent over lakhs of rupees for charity.
7. It can take over two hours to fly to Dwarika.
8. Residents over 65 may apply for consideration.
9. Temperatures have risen above 45 Celsius.
10. Rakesh climbed 8,000 meters above the Earth’s surface.

 

Across and through

‘Through’ is used for movement in a three-dimensional space like a jungle, tunnel, etc. while across is used for movement on a two-dimensional space like road, field, desert, etc.

1. We went through the wood. (We were in the wood.)
2. The road goes through the forest.
3. We walked across the desert. (We were in the desert.)

By and With

In a a passive sentence, ‘by’ is used for doer while ‘with’ is used for the instruments /what we use to do something. 

1. Poems were read by Kirti.
2. Tiger was shot by Riya with an arrow.
3. The snake was killed by the Guard with an iron stick.

Like / as

‘Like’ is used for ‘similar to’ / 'to draw attention' to action while ‘as’ is used for ‘referring the function' or 'character’ that someone or something has

1. You’re just like your father.
2. Sorry for coming to your place without intimation like this.
3. Pets, sometimes, behave like a person.
4. Shiksha got a job as a computer operator.

In, into, inside, or within

‘In’ is used for location, ‘into’ implies direction/movement, ‘inside’ is used to say that something is enclosed (it has a meaning of being enclosed within) while ‘within’ means to be inside something or be bounded by limits.

1. The cat is in the hat. (the cat’s location)
2. The cat jumped into the hat. (the cat moved from an outside location to inside the hat)
3. The cat jumped in the hat. (cat jumped within the hat.)
4. There’s a cat in/inside the box. (the cat is enclosed in the box)
5. The cat will remain within the box. (the cat is restricted inside the box)
6. We can show our play within the city. ( a restriction was imposed upon us)
7. I will call back within an hour. (time restriction is there)
8. I’ll do what I can, within the law, to help you.
9. Reeta was in the kitchen.
10. Reeta went into the kitchen.
11. I locked the door and Reeta remained inside the kitchen.
12. Reeta shouted but her voice stayed within the kitchen.

For/since

‘for’ is used to speak of a time period while ‘since’ is used to refer to a point in time.

1. Rita has lived in Delhi for a decade. (A decade is a time period)
2. Rita has lived in Delhi since 2019. (The year 2019 is a point in time in the past.)
3. I’ve been trying to call you since 1:30 pm.
4. I’ve been trying to call you for a week.
5. For how long have you been watching a movie?
6. Since when have you been watching a movie?
7. My father has been looking for his spectacles for a week.
8. My father has been looking for his spectacles since Monday.

On, upon, or onto?

‘On’ and ‘upon’ both mean the same thing. Upon is more formal and is more often used to speak of abstract things while ‘Onto’ is used for movement.

1. We depend upon our donors for support. (don’t use ‘on’)
2. We’ve built our business upon a foundation of professional integrity.
3. Ritu is on the roof. (don’t use ‘upon’. ‘On’ tells us about Ritu’s current position.)
4. Ayushi climbed onto the roof to check the internet wire connection.
5. All our toys are lying on the floor.
6. Ayushi threw all our toys down onto the floor.

Over/more than?

Over and more than before a number or quantity are generally interchangeable: use what sounds natural.

1. Farley has been waiting for the bus for over/more than two hours.
2. Over/more than 50,000 voters voted today.
3. Houses here can cost over/more than half a million dollars a year just to rent.

Under/less than?

‘Under’ is used for ‘lower than a certain amount or age’. ‘Under’ is an alternative of less than.

1.      Students under 10 cannot take part in this competition.

2.      You can get a good sewing machine online for less than $225.

3.      Give a discount under 5% for earning profit.

Below, beneath, under, or underneath?

Under, below, underneath, and beneath all carry the sense of one thing being at a lower level than another thing. They are often interchangeable, but not always, and also have slight but meaningful differences in connotation.

1. For lower position and scaling – use ‘below’
2. You’ll find the encyclopedia below the atlas on the bookshelf.
3. The cups are on a shelf below the glasses.
4. Insert the graph below the table.
5. Temperatures can fall below zero in winter.
6. If the stock market falls below this line, you should sell.
7. For covering another - use ‘under’.
8. The cat lay curled up under the covers.
9. Farley ran and hid under the bed.
10. Are there fries under the lettuce?
11. I left my phone under the pillow this morning.
12. Farley lived in a little cupboard under the stairs.
13. A river flows under the bridge.

Round / around

Ø  ‘round’ and ‘around’ are similar in use. 

1. The Earth goes around/round the Sun.
2. Riya puts his arms around/round her mother's neck.

Ø  For approximately- use ‘around’

3. There were around 500 people in the room.
4. This table costs around $2200.

To/towards

 ‘to’ is used for referring to a destination while ‘towards is used for direction.

1. Rita drove towards Mango lake.
2. Rita is flying to the Moon.
3. Rita’s destination is the Moon.
4. Rita is flying toward the Moon.
5. Rita is flying in the direction of the Moon, but that may or may not be her destination.
6. Tanu is going to the gym.
7. His destination is the gym.
8. Just keep driving toward the gym until you see a sign on the right.
9. Drive in the direction of the gym.

  

Some common mistakes related to preposition

 Wrong: Archana has never been at Singapore?

Right: Archana has never been to Singapore?

 Wrong: The Sun rises from the East.

Right: The Sun rises in the East.

Wrong: Move the left.

Right: Move to left.

Wrong: You should invest on the stock market.

Right: Sophia invests in the stock market.

Wrong: Ayushi is a student in Banaras Hindu University. 

Right: Ayushi is a student at Banaras Hindu University. 

Wrong: I saw this advertisement on the newspapers.

Right: I saw this advertisement in the newspapers.

Wrong: Open page 20 on your books. 

Right: Open your books to page 20.

Wrong: I cannot agree to you in this situation. (agree to+ document/idea/proposal/document)

Right: I cannot agree with you in this situation. (agree with+ person)

Wrong: He agreed with this proposal.

Right: He agreed to this proposal.

Wrong: She is waiting to the postman.

Right: She is waiting for the postman.

 Wrong: Stand after the white line.

Right: Stand behind the white line.

 Wrong: I have been waiting from two hours.

Right: I have been waiting for two hours.

 Wrong: He reached at the school at 7:30 am.

Right: He reached the school at 7:30 am.

 Wrong: The pet is lying in the sofa.

Right: The cat is lying on the sofa.

 Wrong: Annual day celebration is on October.

Right: Annual day celebration is in October.

 Wrong: Maya has been absent from Monday?

Right: Maya has been absent since Monday?

 Wrong: Shree married with Harsh vardhan.

Right: Shree married to Harsh vardhan.

 Wrong: Divide the prize money between the students in this.

Right: Divide the prize money among the students in class.

 Wrong: The serial has been snowing from Monday.

Right: The serial has been snowing since Monday.

Wrong: The key of success is hard work.

Right: The key to success is hard work.

Wrong: What do you see when looking the mirror?

Right: What do you see when looking in the mirror?

 Wrong: My sister met with her old friends on her holiday.

Right: My sister met her old friends on her holiday.

 Wrong: He insisted to carry his own language.

Right: He insisted on carrying his own luggage.

 Wrong: Lunch consisted from aloo paratha and curd.

Right: Lunch consisted of aloo paratha and curd.

 Wrong: It depends to your action.

Right: It depends on your action.

 Wrong: I want to go to home.

Right: I want to go home.

 Wrong: You are supposed to attend at your duties.

Right: You are supposed to attend to your duties, please.

 Wrong: I deeply regret for my mistakes.

Right: I deeply regret my mistakes.

 Wrong: He was afraid from cockroaches.

Right: He was afraid of cockroaches.

 Wrong: Vinod is so different than his brother.

Right: Vinod is so different from/to his brother.

Wrong: Her assignment is superior than mine.

Right: Her assignment is superior to mine.

 Wrong: I’ll see the monitor at class.

Right: I’ll the monitor in class.

 Wrong: You should be ashamed for yourself.

Right: You should be ashamed of yourself.

 Wrong: My teacher died from Corona last week?

Right: My teacher died from Corona last week?

 Wrong: I’m going to Agra from the train.

Right: I’m going to Agra by train.

 Wrong: He was accused for murdering his partner.

Right: He was accused of murdering his partner.

 Wrong: We complained for the food.

Right: We complained about the food.

 Wrong: Liam failed from mathematics last month.

Right: Liam failed in mathematics last month.

 Wrong: I had always been interested for painting.

Right: I had always been interested in painting.

 Wrong: The train will depart on 6:00 am.

Right: The train will depart at 6:00 am.

 Wrong: we reached at time to catch the train.

Right: we reached in time to catch the train.

 Wrong: We pay our fees in time.

Right: We pay our fees on time.

 Wrong: I bought a bag with Rs 1,000.

Right: I bought a bag for Rs 1,000.

 Wrong: The project manager will meet the board members in the office.

Right: The project manager will meet the board members on the office.

 Wrong: This is the fastest train of the world.

Right: This is the fastest train in the world.

 Wrong: Our children often go to school in bus.

Right: Our children often go to school by bus.

 Wrong: They go to the bus station by foot.

Right: They go to the bus station on foot.

 Wrong: I can see a beautiful bird at the picture.

Right: I can see beautiful bird in the picture.

 Wrong: He doesn’t listen me.

Right: He doesn’t listen to me.

Wrong: My father’s advice was a great help for me.

Right: My father’s advice was a great help to me.

 Wrong: What kind of watches are you interest?

Right: What kind of watches are you interested in?

 Wrong: The monitor spoke in behalf of our class.

Right: The monitor spoke on behalf of our class.

 Wrong: She entered into the library.

Right: She entered the library.

 Wrong: He loves with my friend.

Right: He loves my friend.

 Wrong: Let me help you on your work.

Right: Let me help you with your work.

 Wrong: I recommend you to take this mobile.

Right: I recommend that you should take this mobile.

 Wrong: You must insure for theft and fire.

Right: You must insure against theft and fire.

 Wrong: I’m not good in Mathematics.

Right: I am not good at Mathematics.

Wrong: We went in a trip last week.

Right: We went on a trip last week.

 Wrong: I dream with you every night.

Right: I dream about you every night.

 Wrong: Somebody answer to my question, please.

Right: Somebody answer my question, please.

 Wrong: The judge will decide upon the case.

Right: The judge will decide the case.

 Wrong: Do you want to try this blue dress?

Right: Do you want to try on this blue dress?

 Wrong: He had a daughter of his former wife.

Right: He had a daughter by his former wife.

 Wrong: What is the time in your watch?

Right: What is the time by your watch?

 Wrong: The answer of this question isn’t persuasive.

Right: The answer to this question isn’t persuasive.

 Wrong: Tom is incapable to take care of himself.

Right: Tom is incapable of taking care of himself.

 Wrong: It’s better to avoid to make him angry.

Right: It’s better to avoid making him angry.

Wrong: Are you in home?

Right: Are you at home?

 Wrong: I don’t remember my first day in school.

Right: I don’t remember my first day at school.

 Wrong: We crossed the river with a boat.

Right: We crossed the river in a boat.

 Wrong: We stood on a queue for half an hour.

Right: We stood in a queue for half an hour.

 Wrong: I’ll stop for you in the crossroads.

Right: I’ll stop for you at the crossroads.

 Wrong: Sign in the bottom, please.

Right: Sign at the bottom, please.

 Wrong: He was in the bottle for five years.

Right: He was on the bottle for five years.

 Wrong: They are at the coast.

Right: They are on the coast.

 Wrong: Tens of thousands of soldiers died on the front line.

Right: Tens of thousands of soldiers died at the front line.

Wrong: Cross with care on the traffic lights.

Right: Cross with care at the traffic lights.

 Wrong: Jane is on her fourth year at university.

Right: Jane is in her fourth year at university.

 Wrong: Her name was inscribed by the book.

Right: Her name was inscribed in the book.

 Wrong: I put the coin at my pocket.

Right: I put the coin in my pocket.

 Wrong: I got a good deal for my new Toyota.

Right: I got a good deal on my new Toyota.

 Wrong: My cousin lives in 168 Oxford Street.

Right: My cousin lives at 168 Oxford Street.

 Wrong: Have you ever been in a ship like this before?

Right: Have you ever been on a ship like this before?

 Wrong: I listen to the radio in the way to work.

Right: I listen to the radio on the way to work.

 Wrong: Do you like swimming on the sea?

Right: Do you like swimming in the sea?

 Wrong: She got on the taxi.

Right: She got into the taxi.

Wrong: I work on the morning.

Right: I work in the morning.

Wrong: We have two classes at the afternoon.

Right: We have two classes in the afternoon.

 Wrong: It began to rain on the evening.

Right: It began to rain in the evening.

 Wrong: I’ll see you in Monday.

Right: I’ll see you on Monday.

 Wrong: Anna was born at 1st January 2013.

Right: Anna was born on 1st January 2013.

 Wrong: We were in the 10th floor.

Right: We were on the 10th floor.

 Wrong: I’ve set the alarm clock to go off on 7 am.

Right: I’ve set the alarm clock to go off at 7 am.

 Wrong: The meeting terminated on 12 o’clock.

Right: The meeting terminated at 12 o’clock.

 Wrong: He came home very late in night.

Right: He came home very late at night.

 Wrong: I’m taking an exam at January.

Right: I’m taking an exam in January.

Wrong: He was born on the spring of 1944.

Right: He was born in the spring of 1944.

 Wrong: It’s very hot here on the summer.

Right: It’s very hot here in the summer.

 Wrong: I was born on 1980.

Right: I was born in 1980.

 Wrong: He was born at the 21st century.

Right: He was born in the 21st century.

 Wrong: She sends me a card in my birthday.

Right: She sends me a card on my birthday.

 Wrong: I’m at the beach in holiday.

Right: I’m at the beach on holiday.

 Wrong: I was really happy at my wedding day.

Right: I was really happy on my wedding day.

 Wrong: I only have a snack in lunchtime.

Right: I only have a snack at lunchtime.

 Wrong: Tom has helped us on the past.

Right: Tom has helped us in the past.

 Wrong: I’m leaving on a week.

Right: I’m leaving in a week.

Wrong: I want to be a pilot at the future.

Right: I want to be a pilot in the future.

 Wrong: I’ll be back at a few minutes

Right: I’ll be back in a few minutes

 Wrong: The weather was cold at the Middle Ages.

Right: The weather was cold in the Middle Ages.

 Wrong: I have class on an hour.

Right: I have class in an hour.

 Wrong: John grew two inches on six months.

Right: John grew two inches in six months.

 Wrong: I am available at that day.

Right: I am available on that day.

 Wrong: I only have a snack in lunchtime.

Right: I only have a snack at lunchtime.

 Wrong: I slept late in Sunday morning.

Right: I slept late on Sunday morning.

 Wrong: In Christmas Day, I often send my close friends greeting cards.

Right: On Christmas Day, I often send my close friends greeting cards..

Wrong: I’ve been busy in exams.

Right: I’ve been busy with exams.

 Wrong: Don’t worry too much for making mistakes.

Right: Don’t worry too much about making mistakes.

 Wrong: We were all astonished for the results of the election.

Right: We were all astonished at the results of the election.

 Wrong: What is the difference of these two houses?

Right: What is the difference between these two houses?

 Wrong: Under the help of my mom, I finished the lunch quickly.

Right: With the help of my mom, I finished the lunch quickly.

 Wrong: There was a limit in his patience, and he had crossed it.

Right: There was a limit to his patience, and he had crossed it.

 Wrong: Keep silent and wait to your turn, please.

Right: Keep silent and wait for your turn, please.

 Wrong: The cat got in from the window to catch the mouse.

Right: The cat got in through the window to catch the mouse.

 Wrong: The teacher has promised to look at the matter.

Right: The teacher has promised to look into the matter.

Wrong: Leave the motorway from the next exit.

Right: Leave the motorway at the next exit.

 Wrong: I have seen her in television, but never in the flesh.

Right: I have seen her on television, but never in the flesh.

 Wrong: You can find all kinds of information in the internet.

Right: You can find all kinds of information on the internet.

 Wrong: She cannot say she is jealous of pictures at a page.

Right: She cannot say she is jealous of pictures on a page.

 Wrong: There is a public convenience in the corner of the street.

Right: There is a public convenience at the corner of the street.

 Wrong: The TV campaign is aimed for the 16–24 age group.

Right: The TV campaign is aimed at the 16–24 age group.

 Wrong: We arrived to his house and knocked at the door.

Right: We arrived at his house and knocked at the door.

 Wrong: I am going to take a nine-month course of Chinese.

Right: I am going to take a nine-month course in Chinese.

 Wrong: The president arrived in Lucknow on a helicopter yesterday.

Right: The president arrived in Lucknow in a helicopter yesterday.