• arrive in a city, state, or country
• arrive at a place (restaurant, school, work)
• go to a city, state, country, place
• go from a place

Do not make these common errors:

The word home does not use a preposition with verbs of motion.

• Incorrect:          What time did you return to home?
• Correct:          What time did you return home?

Prepositions in Combination

Prepositions can be used to indicate place, time, and direction. In addition, prepositions can be used with certain nouns, verbs, and adjectives. You need to memorize these combinations and practice them in your writing and conversation.

Prepositions and Nouns

• Some prepositions are used before certain nouns:           in trouble
• Some prepositions are used after certain nouns:              a question about

There is no rule to explain these combinations. You must memorize them.

Preposition + Noun

Noun + Preposition

If you use a verb form after a preposition, the verb must end in -ing. (This form is called a gerund, which is a verb form used as a noun. Here it is an object of the preposition.)

• Incorrect:   Do  you  have any interest in go to the lake with us on Saturday?
• Incorrect:   Do you have any interest in to go to the lake with us on Saturday?
• Correct:    Do you have any interest in going to the lake with us on Saturday?

Prepositions and Verbs

Some prepositions are used after certain verbs: listen to, wait for, complain about

You must memorize these verb and preposition combinations.

• Incorrect:         I complained the homework. (Problem: no preposition)
• Incorrect:         I complained for the homework. (Problem: wrong preposition)
• Correct:           I complained about the homework.

O If you use a verb form after a preposition, the verb must end in -ing. (This form is called a gerund, which is a verb form used as a noun. Here it is an object of the preposition.)

• Incorrect:         I complained about do the homework.
• Correct:           I complained about doing the homework.

Here are some common preposition and verb combinations

Prepositions and Adjectives

Some prepositions are used after certain adjectives: excited about

You must memorize these preposition and adjective combinations.

One of the most common errors is using the preposition for too often.

• Incorrect:         We are happy for the professor’s decision.
• Correct:            We are happy about the professor’s decision.

If you use a verb form after a preposition, the verb must end in -ing. (This form is called a gerund, which is a verb form used as a noun. Here it is an object of the preposition.)

• Incorrect:  We are worried about fly to New York in January.
• Correct:   We are worried about flying to New York in January.

Here are some common prepositions of time.

We use for with a general period of time and we use during with the name of a period of time. We use for to answer the question How long? and we use during to answer the question When?

• Incorrect:       They visited France during two weeks.
• Correct:         They visited France for two weeks.
• Correct:         They visited France during the summer.

Prepositions of Length of Time

The prepositions for, since, and during indicate a period of time.

FOR                    Use with a quantity, or period, of time.

SINCE                 Use with the exact beginning of a period of time.

DURING              Use with the name of a period of time.

In English, “a half” comes before the time word. We say “five and a half hours,” not “five hours and a half.“

Place                                                                           Time

PLACES:  very specific place, especially with the name of the place

• at Jefferson Community College
• at the Hilton
• at Pizza Hut

TIMES:  very specific time; clock time

• at 10:1 7 a.m.
• at noon
• at midnight
• STREETS

STREETS: 

• on Kennedy Avenue
• on Smith Street
• on Interstate

DAYS

• on Monday
• on June 17
• on my birthday

LARGE PLACES

• in Chicago
• in Illinois
• in the Northeast
• in North America
• in my neighborhood

LARGE TIME PERIOD

• in October
• in spring
• in the 1970s
• in the 18th century
• in these two weeks

Exception with the parts of a day:
in the morning, in the afternoon, in the evening, at nighy

Idiomatic Expressions with at, on, in

Here are some idiomatic uses of prepositions of location that you may need to memorize.

Different Meanings for at, in, and on

1. Sometimes the meaning of a preposition is easy to understand.

• The clerk put the shirt in a white box. The box is on the table.

In this example, in means inside something and on means on top of something.

• My cousin works at Washington Bank. He works in the Accounting Department.

In this example, at means at a specific location and in means in a larger unit (for example, a department or an office).

2. Sometimes the meaning of a preposition is not clear.

I bought my car in 2005.1 bought my car on my birthday.

Why do we say in 2005 and not on 2005? Why do we say on my birthday and not in my birthday? (Answer: We use in with years and on with dates.)

What Are Prepositions and Prepositional Phrases?

A preposition is a word that shows the relationship between a noun (or pronoun) and the rest of the sentence. Prepositions have many purposes, but they often give us information about place, time, and direction.

• place: in the classroom, on the table, near the bank, at the bank, under the table
• time: in the morning, in March, in 1985, in ten minutes, for ten minutes, at 9:45, on Monday
• direction:  to the bank, from the bank

The combination of a preposition and its object (and any modifiers such as articles or adjectives) is called a prepositional phrase.

at home             under the sofa                       on the green table

PREP + OBJ      PREP + ARTICLE + OBJ       PREP + ARTICLE + ADJECTIVE + OBJ

A prepositional phrase can come at the beginning, middle, or end of a sentence.

• beginning:     In central Canada, the weather can be incredibly cold.
• middle:           Vicky studied French in central Canada in 2005 and 2006.
• end:                 Dr. Ian Palmer teaches at a large university in central Canada.

Note that we usually use a comma after a prepositional phrase that comes at the beginning of a sentence.

• beginning (with comma):        In the last century, air pollution damaged our forests.
• end (with no comma):         Air pollution damaged our forests in the last century

1. Modals of Possibility and Probability

may    might     could    should   ought to    must    will     be going to

Modals of possibility and probability indicate degrees, from a chance or possibility (50%) to definite (100%):

MAY / MIGHT / COULD 50% possibility

• It’s short notice, but we may / might / could go to the concert on Friday if Steve gets tickets.

SHOULD / OUGHT TO better possibility

• Lori should / ought to get to class on time today because there is no traffic on the highway.

MUST almost certain 

• The football game is not sold out, so tickets must be available.

WILL / BE GOING TO definite

• Steve bought tickets, so we will attend / are going to attend the concert Friday night.

2. Modals of Advisability and Suggestion

should   ought to   had better (threat)

Use modals to give someone advice or make a suggestion:

SHOULD advice or suggestion

• You should take an umbrella.
• You shouldn’t get so angry; it was a mistake.

OUGHT TO strong advice

• Dan ought to take the train because parking spaces are scarce.

HAD BETTER warning or threat

• Michael had better stop smoking; otherwise, it could affect his health.

The negative form is had better + not.

• You had better not / You‘d better not do that.

3. Negative Modals

1. When something is NOT NECESSARY, use do not have to / doesn’t have to / don’t have to.

• I feel a lot better. I do not have to take any more medication.
• The meeting was canceled; she does not have to go.
• You don’t have to shout; I can hear just fine.

2. Must + not (mustn’t) is used for prohibition (a very strong warning).

• Children must not sit close to the television. It will damage their eyesight.
• You mustn’t smoke in restaurants in this state. Smoking in public places is against the law.

4. Questions with Modals

Questions use inverted word order. Sentences with modals form questions by putting the modal first.

• I can go to the movies with you. / Can I go to the movies with you?
• John was able to fix his computer. / Was John able to fix his computer?

Do not use do / does / did with one-word modals in statements or questions.

• Incorrect:         Sasha does can drive the car pool tomorrow.
• Correct:            Sasha can drive the car pool tomorrow.
• Incorrect:         Do you should call the doctor?
• Correct:            Should you call the doctor?

1. What Are Modals?

Modals are words that help main verbs by changing the meaning of the sentence. Modals are used to express:

The most common modals are can, could, may, might, should, would, ought to, must, have to, and be able to. Remember that all modals are followed by the base form of the verb.

• I ride my bike to school. (This is something that I do every day.)
• I may ride my bike to school. (It is possible that I will ride my bike, or I may not. A second meaning is that I have permission [from my parents, for example] to ride my bike to school.)
• I can ride my bike to school. (I have the ability to ride.)
• I must ride my bike to school. (This is a necessity; I have no other transportation.)

Only use the base form of the verb after the modal.

• Incorrect:       Margaret will to graduate next year.
• Correct:         Margaret will graduate next year.
• Incorrect:      The students should to study
• Correct:         The students should study

Do not add -s to the base verb following a modal.

• Incorrect:       He can uses the computer in the living room.
• Correct:         He can use the computer in the living room.
• Incorrect:       Lucille would helps, if she had the time.
• Correct:         Lucille would help if she had the time.

Some modals are combinations of more than one word. For these multiword modals, such as be able to and have to, you must change form according to the subject.

• My dog is able to jump over the fence in the backyard.
• We have to change the flat tire.

Do not use two one-word modals together in a sentence.

• Incorrect:       You may can eat at my house.
• Correct:         You may eat at my house, (permission – formal)

You can eat at my house, (permission – informal)

You can combine a one-word modal with a multiword modal.

• Ex: I may be able to help you tomorrow.
• Ex: We might have to leave the party early.

2. Modals for Requests and Permission

can      could     would     may         might

When you use modals to ask for something, you politely request, or ask for permission.

CAN  informal

• Can I use your cell phone? (request)
• Joe can go next; I don’t mind waiting, (permission)

COULD informal

• Could you close the window? (request)
• You could park here, (permission)

WOULD polite request

• Would you like to go to the movies tonight? (request)
• Would you mind if I sit here? (request for permission)

MAY formal

• May I have your name, please? (request)
• You may have a seat, (permission)

MIGHT very formal (not commonly used)

• Might I offer you a piece of candy? (request; not used for permission)

 Requests are usually questions. The modal comes first in a question.

• Can I have some?

Do not use two one-word modals together in a sentence.

• Incorrect:          You may can borrow my car.
• Correct:            You may borrow my car. (permission – formal)
•                         You can borrow my car. (permission – informal

3. Modals of Ability

can       could (past ability)       be able to

These modals express ability. All three modals are followed by the base form of the main verb. Only be able to changes for third person singular. Can and could do not add -s.

CAN ability

• Harry can run faster than Jim.

COULD ability, past tense

• Carmen could recite the alphabet as a young child.

BE ABLE TO have the ability to

• I am able to drive without my glasses, (present)
• Carol is able to drive without her glasses, (present – third person singular)
• We were not able to get a reservation, (past, negative)
• Peter was able to make the reservation, (past – third person singular)

Do not use two one-word modals in a sentence.

• Incorrect:         I can could help you tomorrow.
• Correct:           I can help you tomorrow, (ability)
• Correct:           I could help you tomorrow, (possibility – different meaning)

4. Modals of Necessity

must     have to      have got to       need to

Use these modals when something is required or necessary:

MUST very strong

• Tomorrow is the final exam; everyone must attend class.

HAVE / HAS TO used more often than must

• Luis has to sell his motorcycle before he buys a boat.

HAVE / HAS GOT TO (very informal)

• Anna is staying home from the party because she has got to study.

NEED TO similar to HAVE / HAS TO

• I need to get a new pair of reading glasses.

Learn English Grammar: Lesson 19 (Part 2) – Modals

1. Subject-Verb Agreement: Witb Indefinite Pronouns

A pronoun usually replaces a specific noun. For example, you can use she instead of my sister. However, one group of pronouns does not refer to a specific noun. We call these indefinite pronouns. Examples of indefinite pronouns are someone and everybody.

Below is a list of common indefinite pronouns. Note that when indefinite pronouns are the subject of a sentence, they ALWAYS take a singular verb.

• Everybody likes our new teacher Dr. Olsen.
• Something smells strange in the refrigerator.
• Anyone is welcome to the party

2. Subject + Prepositional Phrase + Verb

When the subject and the verb are separated by other words in a sentence, it can be difficult to make the subject and the verb agree. Sometimes subjects and verbs are separated by prepositional phrases that give additional information about the subject. When you are writing, be sure to connect the subject and the verb even if additional words separate them.

Ex: The little   girl         lives    on Hudson Street.
                  SUBJECT   VERB

The little  girl         in the blue and white sweater         lives on Hudson Street.
             SUBJECT       PREPOSITIONAL PHRASE           VERB

The  houses        near the supermarket               are not for sale.
      SUBJECT    PREPOSITIONAL PHRASE     VERB

Some common prepositions include in, near, at, on, to, and from.

3. Subject-Verb Agreement: With there + he

When we want to explain that something exists, we use the form there+be. The subject of the sentence is generally found after the verb be.

there + be + subject

Present tense:   There is a huge delay on the highway right now.
                                VERB       SUBJECT

                        There are almost 300,000,000 people in the United States.                                                    VERB                             SUBJECT

Past tense:       There were five concerts at the amphitheater last weekend.
                                  VERB      SUBJECT

                        There was a problem at work, so I had to stay late.
                                 VERB  SUBJECT

When using there + be, remember to find the subject and make sure that it agrees with the form of be.

Learn English Grammar: Lesson 18 (Part 1) – Modals

1. Subject-Verb Agreement: Present Tense Verbs

When you describe something using the simple present tense, the subject must agree with its verb in number (singular or plural) and person.

Singular

• I ride city buses.
• You ride city buses.
• My sister rides city buses.

Plural

• We ride city buses.
• You ride city buses.
• My brother and my sister ride city buses.

2. Subject-Verb Agreement: Negative Verbs

When you want to express a negative thought in the present tense, you must add the helping verb do or does (plus the negative not) to sentences that do not already have a helping verb.

Do not use do or does when the main verb is be.

• Singular (positive):       My sister rides city buses.
• Singular (negative):      My sister does not ride city buses.
• Plural (positive):            My brothers live in New York City.
• Plural (negative):          My brothers do not live in New York City.

When you use the third person singular in the negative, you must use does not (doesn’t). All other forms use do not (don’t).

In formal writing, it is best not to use contractions (doesn’t or don’t).

In the negative form, use does; never put -s on the main verb.

• Incorrect:       My sister does not rides, city buses.
• Incorrect:       My sister do not rides, city buses.
• Incorrect:       My sister no rides city buses.
• Correct:          My sister does not ride city buses.

3. Subject-Verb Agreement: With be (present tense)

Here are the forms for negative sentences:

4. Subject-Verb Agreement: With be (past tense)

Learn English Grammar: Lesson 17 (Part 2) – Subject-Verb Agreement

There are two ways to show the possessive of nouns in English. One way is with an apostrophe and the letter s (‘s). The other way is with the preposition of. Consider the differences between these two possessive forms.

For people:

1. A singular noun that does not end in -s: add ‘s

• the boy has a book = the boy’s book
• the boy has books = the boy’s books

2. A plural noun that ends in -s: add ‘ (apostrophe)

• the boys have one book = the boys’ book
• the boys have many books = the boys’ books

3. An irregular plural noun: add ‘s

• the children have a book = the children’s book
• people have opinions = people’s opinions

4. A name that ends in -s: add ‘s

• Chris has a laptop = Chris’s laptop
• Charles has two bikes = Charles’s bikes

For things:

5. Use of instead of ‘s

• a table has a top = the top of the table
• a book has a title = the title of the book

6. Exceptions: We use ‘s for time words and nature words

• Today’s newspaper is on the table.
• The sun’s rays provide us with warmth and vitamin D.

Learn English Grammar: Lesson 17 (Part 1) – Subject-Verb Agreement