전치사의 용법

 

◾at → used with specific points in time

“The store will open at seven o'clock.”

 

“She left for our house at 5:15.”

 

◾ in → used with periods of time

“The World war ended in 1918.”

 

“Tom should be back in ten minutes.”

 

“Those flowers bloom in the late fall.”

 

◾ on → used with days and dates

“Our mother was born on June 8, 1946.”

 

“The game will be played on Sunday.”

 

“We stayed up late on New Year's Eve.”

 

◾ during → happening in or over a period of time

“I took notes during the meeting.”

 

“During the morning, it snowed.”

 

“He feel asleep twice during the play.”

 

◾ by → at or before a point in time

“You should be here by 8:00.”

 

“This report has to be done by Saturday.”

 

“By 9:30, he was very drunk.”

 

◾ until → up to a certain time

“You have until 7:00 to do that work.”

 

“I can wait until you decide.”

 

“Until he arrives, we can't begin.”

 

◾ from...to → between two points of time

“We waited for him from 4:30 to 5:30!”

 

“It is very cold from October to March.”

 

“Wilson works from Monday to Friday.”

 

◾ before → taking place at an earlier time

“Before you talk to him, get some advice.”

 

“He came to Korea before the Civil War.”

 

“If I get home before 6:00 we can go to a movie.”

 

◾ after → taking place at a later time

“After you talk to him, come and see me.”

 

“I cleaned up the office after everyone left.”

 

“Friday comes after Thursday.”

 

◾ for → lasting a period of time

“Poul spoke to us for two hours.”

 

“The valley was flooded for ten days.”

 

“I plan to live in New York for the rest of my life.”

 

◾ in → after a period of time (2nd meaning)

“We will begin in ten minutes.”

 

“He is going to retire in four years.”

 

“The election will be held in a few months.”

 

◾ since → starting from a point in time

“We've been working since he left.”

 

“He has been talking since 9:00.”

 

“Since 1985, the population of this city has doubled!”

 

above -- at a higher level (see “over”) “The plane flew above the clouds.”

 

below -- at a lower level (see “under”) “The divers went 200 feet below the surface of the ocean.”

 

beside -- near, at the side of “There is a small table beside my bed.”

 

next to -- right beside, close to “Sam sat next to his boss at the meeting.”

 

(in) between -- in the space that separates two objects “She parked her car (in) between the two trucks.”

 

behind -- at the back of “In baseball, the umpire stands behind the catcher.”

 

in front of -- at the front of “There is a beautiful oak tree in front of our office.”

 

in -- within a space “Is the ketchup in the refrigerator?”(Note: “In” usually describes a place or condition. To talk about movement, use “into.” For example, “She walked INTO the room.” The opposite of “into” is “out of.” For example, “After five minutes, she walked OUT OF the room.”)

 

inside -- within a space “My father put our clothes inside his suitcase.”(Note: “In” and “inside” mean almost the same thing when talking about place. However, because “in” has so many different meanings and uses, “inside” is thought of as more definite.)

 

outside -- not within a space “We have met many tourists from outside the country.”

 

on top of -- over, upon “There is a man standing on top of that house!”(Note: “On top of” usually means that there is contact between the two objects. This ｅxpression is often shortened to “on.” For example, “The coffee cup is on the table.” However, “on” has many more meanings and uses, so it doesn't always mean the same thing as “on top of.” For example, “The painting is hanging on the wall.”)

 

underneath -- directly below (see “below” and “under”) “The cat hid underneath my chair.”

 

over -- on top of, but not touching “The branches of the big tree hung over

 

under -- below, covered by “There is a subway station under this building.”