English

Prepositions

Class 4

🎯 Learning Objectives

📖 Let Us Begin!

Look at these two sentences: "The cat sat the table" and "The cat sat on the table." The second sentence makes sense because the word on tells us where the cat sat. Words like on, in, under, at, behind are called prepositions. They show the relationship between a noun (or pronoun) and other words in a sentence. Prepositions can tell us where something is (place) or when something happens (time).

A Friendly Introduction

Look at these two sentences: "The cat sat the table" and "The cat sat on the table." The second sentence makes sense because the word on tells us where the cat sat. Words like on, in, under, at, behind are called prepositions. They show the relationship between a noun (or pronoun) and other words in a sentence. Prepositions can tell us where something is (place) or when something happens (time).

Prepositions of Place

Prepositions of place tell us where something or someone is.

PrepositionMeaningExample Sentence
inInside somethingThe books are in the bag.
onOn the surface of somethingThe pen is on the desk.
underBelow somethingThe dog is sleeping under the bed.
behindAt the back of somethingRavi is hiding behind the door.
betweenIn the middle of two thingsThe school is between the temple and the park.
aboveHigher than something (not touching)The fan is above our heads.
belowLower than somethingThe river flows below the bridge.
besideNext to somethingMeena sat beside her friend.
in front ofFacing the front of somethingThe garden is in front of the house.
Example
Example 1: Using Prepositions of Place

Anita lives in Jaipur. Her house is between a grocery shop and a tailor shop. There is a neem tree in front of her house. Her cat likes to sit on the window sill and watch the birds above the rooftop.

Think: Look around your classroom. Where is the blackboard? Where is your bag? Use prepositions to describe their positions.

Prepositions of Time

Prepositions of time tell us when something happens.

PrepositionUsed ForExample Sentence
atExact timeSchool starts at 8 o'clock.
onDays and datesWe have a holiday on Monday. / Republic Day is on 26th January.
inMonths, years, seasonsMy birthday is in March. / India became free in 1947. / It rains a lot in the monsoon.
Example
Example 2: Using Prepositions of Time

Rohan wakes up at 6 o'clock every morning. He goes to school on weekdays. His school annual day is in December. This year, it falls on 15th December.

Think: Do we say "in Monday" or "on Monday"? Do we say "at March" or "in March"? The preposition changes based on what follows it.

📝 Key Words

WordMeaning
PrepositionA word that shows the relationship between a noun/pronoun and other words in a sentence
Preposition of PlaceA preposition that tells where something is (in, on, under, etc.)
Preposition of TimeA preposition that tells when something happens (at, on, in)
NounA word that names a person, place, thing, or animal
⭐ Key Points to Remember

✏️ Practice Questions

A. Fill in the Blanks with the Correct Preposition
1. The cat is hiding the sofa. (under / on)
2. We celebrate Independence Day 15th August. (in / on)
3. The clock is the wall. (on / in)
4. Priya was born 2014. (in / on)
5. The temple is the school and the hospital. (between / beside)
6. Father comes home 7 o'clock. (at / in)
7. The birds are flying the trees. (above / under)
8. We wear sweaters winter. (in / on)
B. Multiple Choice Questions
1. Which is a preposition of time?
(a) under(b) behind(c) at(d) beside
2. "The ball is ___ the box." Choose the correct preposition if the ball is inside.
(a) on(b) in(c) above(d) behind
3. We use "on" with:
(a) months(b) years(c) days and dates(d) seasons
C. Identify the Preposition
1. The children are playing in the park.
2. Diwali comes in October or November.
3. The shop is beside the post office.
4. The train arrives at 9:30 in the morning.
5. The shoes are under the bed.
E. Make Your Own Sentences
1. Write a sentence using between:
2. Write a sentence using in front of:
3. Write a sentence using at (time):
4. Write a sentence using on (day or date):
🎨 Fun Activity -- Preposition Hunt in Your Classroom

Look around your classroom and write five sentences describing where things are. Use a different preposition of place in each sentence.

Want to use this as a worksheet? Switch to the A4 printable view.

Learning Objectives
A Friendly Introduction

Look at these two sentences: "The cat sat the table" and "The cat sat on the table." The second sentence makes sense because the word on tells us where the cat sat. Words like on, in, under, at, behind are called prepositions. They show the relationship between a noun (or pronoun) and other words in a sentence. Prepositions can tell us where something is (place) or when something happens (time).

Prepositions of Place

Prepositions of place tell us where something or someone is.

PrepositionMeaningExample Sentence
inInside somethingThe books are in the bag.
onOn the surface of somethingThe pen is on the desk.
underBelow somethingThe dog is sleeping under the bed.
behindAt the back of somethingRavi is hiding behind the door.
betweenIn the middle of two thingsThe school is between the temple and the park.
aboveHigher than something (not touching)The fan is above our heads.
belowLower than somethingThe river flows below the bridge.
besideNext to somethingMeena sat beside her friend.
in front ofFacing the front of somethingThe garden is in front of the house.
Example 1: Using Prepositions of Place

Anita lives in Jaipur. Her house is between a grocery shop and a tailor shop. There is a neem tree in front of her house. Her cat likes to sit on the window sill and watch the birds above the rooftop.

Think: Look around your classroom. Where is the blackboard? Where is your bag? Use prepositions to describe their positions.

Prepositions of Time

Prepositions of time tell us when something happens.

PrepositionUsed ForExample Sentence
atExact timeSchool starts at 8 o'clock.
onDays and datesWe have a holiday on Monday. / Republic Day is on 26th January.
inMonths, years, seasonsMy birthday is in March. / India became free in 1947. / It rains a lot in the monsoon.
Example 2: Using Prepositions of Time

Rohan wakes up at 6 o'clock every morning. He goes to school on weekdays. His school annual day is in December. This year, it falls on 15th December.

Think: Do we say "in Monday" or "on Monday"? Do we say "at March" or "in March"? The preposition changes based on what follows it.

Key Words
WordMeaning
PrepositionA word that shows the relationship between a noun/pronoun and other words in a sentence
Preposition of PlaceA preposition that tells where something is (in, on, under, etc.)
Preposition of TimeA preposition that tells when something happens (at, on, in)
NounA word that names a person, place, thing, or animal
Key Points to Remember
Practice Questions

A. Fill in the Blanks with the Correct Preposition

  1. The cat is hiding the sofa. (under / on)
  2. We celebrate Independence Day 15th August. (in / on)
  3. The clock is the wall. (on / in)
  4. Priya was born 2014. (in / on)
  5. The temple is the school and the hospital. (between / beside)
  6. Father comes home 7 o'clock. (at / in)
  7. The birds are flying the trees. (above / under)
  8. We wear sweaters winter. (in / on)

B. Multiple Choice Questions

  1. Which is a preposition of time?
    (a) under(b) behind(c) at(d) beside
  2. "The ball is ___ the box." Choose the correct preposition if the ball is inside.
    (a) on(b) in(c) above(d) behind
  3. We use "on" with:
    (a) months(b) years(c) days and dates(d) seasons

C. Identify the Preposition

Underline the preposition in each sentence and write whether it is a preposition of place or time.

  1. The children are playing in the park.
  2. Diwali comes in October or November.
  3. The shop is beside the post office.
  4. The train arrives at 9:30 in the morning.
  5. The shoes are under the bed.

D. Read the Passage and Fill in the Prepositions

Sita lives a small town Tamil Nadu. Every morning, she wakes up 6 o'clock. Her school bag hangs a hook the door. She reaches school 8 o'clock. Her best friend Kavitha sits her. They have their exams March.

E. Make Your Own Sentences

  1. Write a sentence using between:
  2. Write a sentence using in front of:
  3. Write a sentence using at (time):
  4. Write a sentence using on (day or date):
Fun Activity -- Preposition Hunt in Your Classroom

Look around your classroom and write five sentences describing where things are. Use a different preposition of place in each sentence.