Prepositions: At, To, For, and By – Explanations & Practice Exercises
Prepositions can be tricky, but with practice, they become easier to use naturally. Below are explanations, examples, and exercises to help you master at, to, for, and by.
1. Preposition “At”
Usage:
Time: at 5 o’clock, at midnight, at lunchtime
Place/Location: at the door, at the bus stop, at school
Events: at the party, at the meeting, at the wedding
State/Condition: at risk, at peace, at war
Speed/Rate: at 50 km/h, at a high price
Examples:
I will meet you at the coffee shop.
She arrived at midnight.
He is at work right now.
Exercise 1: Fill in the blanks with “at”.
We will meet ______ the library after class.
The train arrives ______ 3 p.m.
She is standing ______ the entrance of the building.
I was really surprised ______ his behavior.
The car was moving ______ 60 miles per hour.
2. Preposition “To”
Usage:
Movement/Direction: go to school, travel to Japan
Recipient: give to someone, send to a friend
Purpose/Result: raise money to help, do it to win
Comparisons: prefer coffee to tea, similar to something
Examples:
He went to the store.
I sent a letter to my friend.
She prefers tea to coffee.
Exercise 2: Choose the correct preposition (“to” or “at”).
She is traveling ___ France next week.
We arrived ___ the airport late.
Can you give this message ___ John?
I will talk ___ my teacher after class.
They threw the ball ___ me, but I missed it.
3. Preposition “For”
Usage:
Benefit/Purpose: This gift is for you.
Time Duration: I lived there for five years.
Reason/Cause: She is happy for the success.
In Exchange: I bought this for $20.
Examples:
I made a cake for my brother’s birthday.
We waited for two hours.
This book is for beginners.
Exercise 3: Fill in the blanks with “for”.
This present is ______ my mother.
I have been studying English ______ two years.
Thank you ______ your help.
He bought a gift ______ his girlfriend.
She is famous ______ her acting skills.
4. Preposition “By”
Usage:
Means/Method: travel by car, pay by credit card
Authorship: a book by Shakespeare, a song by The Beatles
Passive Voice (Agent of Action): The cake was made by my grandmother.
Close to Something: sit by the window, stand by the door
Time Limit: Finish it by Friday, return by 10 p.m.
Examples:
The novel was written by J.K. Rowling.
I traveled by train.
He stood by the entrance waiting for us.
Exercise 4: Choose the correct preposition (“for” or “by”).
The book was written ___ a famous author.
She traveled ___ plane to Paris.
This is a gift ___ my best friend.
We need to finish the project ___ Friday.
The song was sung ___ a popular singer.
Mixed Practice: Multiple Choice & Sentence Correction
Exercise 5: Choose the correct preposition (at, to, for, by).
I spoke ___ my friend about the new job.
a) at
b) to
c) for
d) by
She will be ready ___ 6 p.m.
a) at
b) to
c) for
d) by
I learned Spanish ___ watching movies.
a) at
b) to
c) for
d) by
He paid ___ credit card.
a) at
b) to
c) for
d) by
This house was built ___ a famous architect.
a) at
b) to
c) for
d) by
Exercise 6: Correct the mistakes in these sentences.
He gave a gift at his mother. → __________
She arrived to the airport late. → __________
I have lived here since two years. → __________
This book was written to Shakespeare. → __________
The movie starts to 8 p.m. → __________