Category Archives: Prepositions

Prepositional Phrases

Teaching prepositional phrases to ESL students can be both engaging and highly beneficial, as these structures are essential for expressing relationships between objects, ideas, time, and place. Here’s a guide on how to effectively introduce and practice prepositional phrases in the classroom.

CLICK HERE for FREE English Language Songs

🎯 What Are Prepositional Phrases?

A prepositional phrase consists of a preposition and its object (usually a noun or pronoun), along with any modifiers.

Examples:

  • on the table

  • in the morning

  • with great enthusiasm

These phrases often function as adjectives (the book on the table) or adverbs (He arrived in the morning).

CLICK HERE for FREE English Language Songs and Worksheets

🧑‍🏫 How to Teach Prepositional Phrases to ESL Students

1. Start with the Basics: Prepositions of Place and Time

Introduce prepositional phrases using concrete, visual examples:

  • on the chair, under the table, next to the window

  • at 5 o’clock, in April, on Monday

✅ Teaching Tip: Use real classroom objects or pictures. Ask:

“Where is the pen?” — on the desk, under the chair, etc.

This builds familiarity with form and function in a meaningful context.

2. Show the Structure Visually

Break the phrase into parts:

  • Preposition + Object

  • Example: under (preposition) + the bed (object)

Use color-coding or underlining to help students see the structure.

✅ Mini-task: Ask students to underline prepositions and circle objects in sample sentences.

3. Introduce Function Gradually

Explain that prepositional phrases can:

  • Modify nouns (the girl with the red dress)

  • Modify verbs (He ran through the park)

Give side-by-side examples and ask students:

What does the phrase describe? (noun or verb?)

✅ Exercise idea: Match a sentence to its function (adjective or adverb).

4. Encourage Speaking and Movement

Use TPR (Total Physical Response) to reinforce place phrases:

  • “Put the book on the desk.”

  • “Stand next to the chair.”

✅ Students can give each other instructions using prepositional phrases — this makes learning interactive and kinesthetic.

5. Integrate Reading and Writing Practice

Provide short texts and have students:

  • Identify all prepositional phrases

  • Replace or expand phrases with their own ideas

✅ Writing task: Describe a room using at least 5 prepositional phrases.

6. Use Games and Visuals

  • Preposition Bingo: Students find matching phrases or locations

  • Sentence scramble: Unscramble sentences with prepositional phrases

  • Image descriptions: Show a photo and ask students to describe where objects are using prepositional phrases

🌟 Final Advice for ESL Teachers

  • Teach in small chunks and recycle frequently

  • Focus on function, not just form

  • Use real contexts and visuals as much as possible

  • Encourage creativity in speaking and writing tasks

CLICK HERE for FREE English Language Songs

Lesson Plan & Worksheet: Teaching Prepositional Phrases

📅 LESSON PLAN

Level: Beginner to Low-Intermediate
Time: 45–60 minutes
Topic: Prepositional Phrases (Place & Time)

Objectives

  • Identify and understand basic prepositional phrases

  • Use prepositional phrases to describe locations and times

  • Practice speaking and writing with targeted structures

Materials

  • Whiteboard, projector or pictures

  • Printed worksheets (below)

  • Real classroom objects

Warm-Up (10 mins)

  • Use real objects to review basic prepositions: on, under, next to, in, behind

  • Ask students: “Where is the pen?” and elicit answers like on the desk

Presentation (10 mins)

  • Write structure on board: Preposition + Object = Prepositional Phrase

  • Show examples: in the morning, on the table, behind the curtain

  • Highlight use as adjective (the cat under the chair) and adverb (He arrived in the evening)

Guided Practice (10 mins)

  • Students label items in a classroom image using prepositional phrases

  • Pair activity: Describe where classroom items are (e.g., “The notebook is under the chair.”)

Worksheet Activity (15 mins)

Use the worksheet below. Students complete exercises individually or in pairs.

Wrap-Up (5 mins)

  • Review key prepositions and ask a few students to describe their desk or room

  • Optional exit ticket: Write one sentence with a prepositional phrase

🗋 WORKSHEET: Prepositional Phrases

Part A: Match the Prepositions to the Pictures

  1. on the desk

  2. under the chair

  3. in the bag

  4. behind the door

  5. next to the window

(Insert matching image descriptions or have students draw quick sketches)

Part B: Complete the Sentences

Fill in the blanks with appropriate prepositional phrases:

  1. The pencil is ________________________.

  2. She put her phone ________________________.

  3. There is a spider ________________________.

  4. My backpack is ________________________.

  5. He sat ________________________ me.

Part C: Identify the Prepositional Phrase

Underline the prepositional phrase in each sentence:

  1. The cat is under the table.

  2. I will see you in the morning.

  3. There is a clock on the wall.

  4. She hid behind the curtain.

  5. He arrived at 3 o’clock.

Part D: Speaking Practice

Work in pairs. Ask and answer:

  • Where do you usually study?

  • What’s in your bag right now?

  • Can you describe what’s next to your bed?

Teacher Tip: Prepositional phrases become more natural with repetition in real contexts. Use games and physical movement to reinforce learning!

————————————————————————————————————————————

CLICK HERE for my “Everyday Verbs Songs” and Worksheets

Compare these preposition phrases and “the mistakes with prepositions” post. Click on the Prepositions category over to the right.

Most common phrases here are:

at a discount, out of breath, out of control, out of date, in time, in demand, by chance, by accident, on schedule, on the road, on a diet

CLICK HERE for FREE English Language Songs

image from http://loveenglish.org

Mistakes With Prepositions

Teaching students how to avoid common preposition mistakes is a key part of building accurate grammar and natural-sounding English. Here’s a practical guide for how to recognize, teach, and correct prepositional errors.

GET FREE ENGLISH LANGUAGE SONGS AND WORKSHEETS HERE

📌 Why Preposition Mistakes Happen

Prepositions are small words (in, on, at, to, for, of) but carry big meaning. They’re often tricky for learners because:

  • They don’t always translate directly from other languages

  • One preposition can have many meanings

  • Prepositions often follow fixed patterns (e.g., interested in, good at)

Understanding how and why students make these errors helps teachers plan better instruction.

🧑‍🏫 How to Teach Students to Avoid Preposition Mistakes

1. Focus on High-Frequency Errors

Start by identifying the most common mistakes. Some examples:

  • ❌ I’m good in English → ✅ I’m good at English

  • ❌ She depends of her friends → ✅ She depends on her friends

  • ❌ He is married with a doctor → ✅ He is married to a doctor

  • ❌ I arrived to school late → ✅ I arrived at school late

✅ Tip: Create a “Top 10 Preposition Mistakes” board in class.

2. Teach Prepositions in Chunks

Instead of teaching prepositions alone, teach them as part of phrases:

  • interested in, afraid of, good at, listen to, talk to, arrive at This helps students remember them more naturally.

✅ Use visuals and context to support understanding.

3. Compare and Contrast

Use side-by-side examples to show correct and incorrect usage:

  • He lives in Canada vs. He lives on Canada ❌

  • We met at 5 PM vs. We met on 5 PM ❌

✅ Activity: “Correct the mistake” sentences

4. Use Contextual Practice

Give students real-life situations to use prepositions:

  • Talking about time and place: in the morning, at the park, on Monday

  • Describing relationships: married to, angry with, interested in

✅ Role-plays and sentence-completion games work well here.

5. Highlight Fixed Phrases and Collocations

Some verbs, adjectives, and nouns require specific prepositions:

  • responsible for, afraid of, rely on Teach these as chunks, and encourage memorization through repetition and use.

✅ Create preposition “families” with mind maps.

6. Error Correction with Sensitivity

When students make mistakes:

  • First, check if the meaning is still clear

  • Gently reformulate the sentence

  • Ask guided questions: “Do we say ‘interested on’ or ‘interested in’?”

✅ Use peer editing and group work to review errors together.

🛠️ Extra Teaching Tips

 

image from https://www.flickr.com/photos/133912735@N07/34158547833/

📅 LESSON PLAN: Preposition Mistakes

Level: Intermediate ESL
Time: 45–60 minutes
Focus: Grammar (Prepositions), Error Correction, Collocations

Objectives

  • Recognize and correct common preposition mistakes

  • Use common preposition + verb/adjective/noun collocations accurately

  • Practice in context through sentence correction and communication tasks

Materials

  • Preposition mistake worksheet (included)

  • Preposition error list (included)

  • Whiteboard or digital projector

Warm-Up (5 mins)

Ask students: “Which prepositions are the hardest for you?” Write answers on the board.

Presentation (10 mins)

  • Show 3–5 incorrect example sentences on the board (from the error list)

  • Ask students to identify and correct them

  • Explain common confusion patterns (e.g., L1 transfer, false friends)

Guided Practice (15 mins)

  • Work through Part A and B of the worksheet as a class

  • Emphasize memorizing common collocations (e.g., interested in, married to)

Pair Work (10 mins)

  • Students complete Part C in pairs (short dialogue correction)

  • Then act out or read their corrected version

Wrap-Up (5 mins)

  • Review tricky examples from the worksheet

  • Assign one preposition phrase for each student to teach the class tomorrow

GET FREE ENGLISH LANGUAGE SONGS AND WORKSHEETS HERE

WORKSHEET: Fixing Preposition Mistakes

Part A: Correct the Mistakes

Correct the incorrect prepositions in these sentences.

  1. I’m good in cooking.

  2. We arrived to the airport late.

  3. She’s married with a dentist.

  4. He’s afraid about spiders.

  5. They talked about the phone.

  6. I depend of my sister.

  7. This book is full from mistakes.

  8. I dreamt on winning the lottery.

Part B: Match the Verb/Adjective with the Correct Preposition

Match each phrase correctly.

  1. Interested ___
    a. on b. in c. for

  2. Angry ___
    a. with b. of c. to

  3. Rely ___
    a. to b. on c. for

  4. Afraid ___
    a. at b. from c. of

  5. Responsible ___
    a. for b. in c. of

Part C: Fix the Dialogue

Fix the preposition mistakes in the dialogue.

A: Are you married with someone?
B: No, I’m married at my job. Haha.
A: I’m interested on starting a new course.
B: Really? What course are you good in?

Write the corrected version:

❌ COMMON PREPOSITION ERROR LIST

Incorrect Sentence Correct Version
I’m good in math. I’m good at math.
She arrived to the party late. She arrived at the party late.
He’s married with a nurse. He’s married to a nurse.
I depend of my parents. I depend on my parents.
She’s afraid about the dark. She’s afraid of the dark.
It depends of the weather. It depends on the weather.
I’m interested on history. I’m interested in history.
Talk about the phone. Talk on the phone.
Responsible of the project. Responsible for the project.

Teacher Tip: Create flashcards with common collocations (e.g., good at, afraid of) and quiz students in pairs!