Introduction
Prepositions show the relationship between a noun/pronoun and another word in the sentence — typically
relating to time, place, or direction. SSC tests these heavily through fill-in-the-blank and error-spotting
questions, since preposition usage often has no logical rule and must simply be memorised.
Prepositions of Time — In, On, At
| Preposition | Used With | Example |
|---|
| In | Months, years, seasons, long periods | in May, in 2020, in winter |
| On | Days and specific dates | on Monday, on 15th August |
| At | Precise/clock times | at 5 o'clock, at noon, at midnight |
Prepositions of Place — In, On, At
| Preposition | Used For | Example |
|---|
| In | Enclosed spaces, cities, countries | in the room, in Delhi, in India |
| On | Surfaces | on the table, on the wall |
| At | Specific points/addresses | at the door, at 25 Park Street |
Common Fixed Preposition Combinations
💡 Key Insight: Many words are always paired with a specific preposition — these combinations don't follow a logical rule and are best memorised as fixed pairs.
| Word + Preposition | Word + Preposition |
|---|
| afraid of | married to |
| angry with (a person) | proud of |
| angry at (a situation) | interested in |
| good at | similar to |
| different from | capable of |
| depend on | fond of |
| arrive at (a place, small area) | consist of |
| arrive in (a city/country) | congratulate on |
Q. Choose the correct sentence: (A) She is married with a doctor. (B) She is married to a doctor.
"Married" is fixed with "to," not "with"
Correct: (B) She is married to a doctor.
Q. Choose the correct sentence: (A) He is good in mathematics. (B) He is good at mathematics.
"Good" is fixed with "at," not "in"
Correct: (B) He is good at mathematics.
Prepositions of Direction/Movement
| Preposition | Meaning |
|---|
| Into | Movement from outside to inside |
| Onto | Movement to a position on top of something |
| Through | Movement from one side to the other, passing inside |
| Across | Movement from one side to the other, over a surface |
| Towards | In the direction of |
Prepositions That Are Never Followed by "To" + Verb
⚠️ Common Trap: A verb following a preposition must be in the "-ing" (gerund) form, not the infinitive ("to + verb") form.
Q. Choose the correct sentence: (A) I am looking forward to meet you. (B) I am looking forward to meeting you.
"To" here functions as a preposition (part of "look forward to"), so it needs the gerund form
Correct: (B) I am looking forward to meeting you.
✅ Practice Focus: In/On/At for both time and place · Fixed preposition combinations (memorise as pairs) · Into/onto/through/across direction distinctions · Preposition + gerund rule (never preposition + infinitive).