Grammar Essentials (Handbook)
🔒 Log in to trackPrepositions and conjunctions
🔒 Log in to trackA preposition links a noun to the rest of the sentence. A conjunction joins words or clauses. Most questions test fixed pairs, like fond of or no sooner ... than. You cannot work these out by logic. Learn them as pairs and match the partner.
Time and place
| Word | Time | Place |
|---|---|---|
| at | exact point: at 6 pm, at noon, at night | point or address: at the gate |
| on | days and dates: on Monday, on 15 August | surface or street: on the table |
| in | months, years, seasons, parts of day: in May, in 2025 | enclosed area, city, country: in Delhi |
| by | not later than: by 5 pm | beside or means: by the window, by train |
| till / until | up to a time: wait till 5 | |
| since / for | start point / length, with perfect tenses | |
| between / among | two / more than two | between the banks, among the villagers |
| beside / besides | next to / in addition to | sat beside me; besides English he knows Tamil |
| into / in | movement inside / position | jumped into the pool; swimming in the pool |
Fixed prepositions
| Pair | Sense |
|---|---|
| abide by, comply with | follow a rule |
| accede to, insist on, depend on, rely on | agree; demand; trust |
| accuse of, guilty of, charge with | blame for a crime |
| afraid of, capable of, fond of, proud of, sure of, aware of | fear; able; like; pride; certain; knowing |
| angry with (person), angry at (thing) | anger |
| agree with (person), to (proposal), on (point) | agreement |
| apologise to (person) for (act) | say sorry |
| good at, weak in, succeed in, interested in | skill; achieve; keen |
| married to, similar to, indifferent to, addicted to, acquainted with | link |
| prevent, refrain, abstain from | stop |
| die of (disease), die from (cause) | death |
| differ from (thing), differ with (view) | disagree |
| divide into (parts), divide among (people) | share |
| senior, junior, superior, inferior, prior to; prefer X to Y | comparison |
| tired of (bored), tired from (exhausted) | fatigue |
| wait for (someone), wait on (serve) | waiting |
| deal in (goods), deal with (handle) | trade; handle |
| part with (thing), part from (person) | give up; leave |
| object to + V-ing, congratulate on, deprive of, eligible for | fixed |
No preposition after these verbs: discuss (the plan), describe, reach (the station), enter (the room), marry (someone), attack, resemble, request, order, answer (a question), comprise, emphasise, investigate.
Watch: Discuss about, reach at and comprises of are wrong. Say consists of or is composed of.
Joining pairs
| Pair | Example |
|---|---|
| either ... or / neither ... nor | Neither he nor I knew. |
| both ... and | both Ravi and Sita (not as well as) |
| not only ... but also | She not only sings but also dances. |
| whether ... or | whether you like it or not |
| no sooner ... than | No sooner had he left than it rained. |
| hardly / scarcely / barely ... when, before | Hardly had I sat when the phone rang. |
| though / although ... yet (or nothing) | Though he is poor, he is honest. Never though ... but. |
| so ... that / such ... that | so tired that he slept |
| such ... as / the same ... as | such books as these |
| lest ... should | Walk carefully lest you should fall. |
| rather ... than | I would rather walk than wait. |
| as ... as / not so ... as | not so tall as his brother |
Errors to watch
- Two conjunctions for one job: Although ... but, Because ... so, Since ... therefore are wrong. Use one.
- Unless, until, lest and till already carry a negative: Unless you do not work is wrong.
- Say The reason ... is that, not because.
- Do not mix pairs: Scarcely ... than and No sooner ... when are wrong.
- Keep the joined parts alike: He plays not only cricket but also football. Not He not only plays cricket but also football.
Question types you will see
Each type: how to recognise it, the method step by step, and one question to try.
at / on / in for time and place
The blank comes before a clock time, a day, a month, a city or a surface.
Classify the word: exact point, day or date, month or large area, surface.
at: point. on: day or surface. in: month or enclosed area.
Choose the matching option.
The three words split time and space by how exact they are.
We reached the airport ___ 6 o'clock. (at / on / in / by)
Show solutionHide solution
'6 o'clock' is an exact time.
An exact time takes 'at'.
at
Fixed preposition after a word
An adjective, noun or verb (fond, good, angry, insist, married) is followed by the blank.
Find the governing word.
Recall its fixed pair.
Reject the prepositions that fit the meaning but not this word.
These pairs are conventions, and the exam reuses the same ones.
Ravi is very good ___ mathematics. (at / in / on / for)
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'Good' is followed by 'at' when it means skill.
Choose 'at'.
at
Between / among and since / for
Two or more parties share something, or a time span starts or lasts.
Count the sharers: two means between, more than two means among.
A start point means since. A length means for.
Choose the option that fits.
Each pair splits one idea by number or by the shape of the span.
The prize was divided ___ the two winners. (between / among / in / into)
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There are two winners.
Two parties take 'between'.
between
Joining pairs
A sentence opens with no sooner, hardly, scarcely or not only, and the blank is the second half of the pair.
Recall the fixed partner: no sooner ... than; hardly, scarcely ... when; not only ... but also.
Eliminate mixed partners.
Choose the partner word.
These pairs are welded together; the first half fixes the second.
No sooner did the bell ring ___ the students rushed out. (than / when / then / that)
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'No sooner' needs 'than'.
Choose 'than'.
than
No preposition after the verb
The verb is discuss, reach, enter, resemble, describe, marry or comprise, and one option adds a preposition.
Spot the verb.
Check the no-preposition list.
Reject the option with 'about', 'at' or 'of'.
These verbs already carry the meaning of the preposition.
The committee will discuss ___ the new rules tomorrow. (about / on / no word)
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'Discuss' takes its object directly.
Add no word.
no word
Latin comparatives with to
The sentence compares two things with senior, junior, superior, inferior, prior or prefer, and one option uses than.
Spot the Latin comparative.
It takes 'to', never 'than'.
Choose the option with 'to'.
Words like senior and prefer come from Latin comparatives that already contain the idea of 'than'.
She is senior ___ me in the office. (than / to / from / over)
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'Senior' is a Latin comparative.
It takes 'to'.
to
Two conjunctions for one job
The sentence has although or because and a second linking word such as but or so.
Spot the first conjunction (although, because, since).
Look for a second one in the other clause.
Delete the second one.
One link needs one conjunction.
Although he was tired, but he finished the work. Which word is wrong?
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'Although' already joins the two parts.
'But' repeats the job.
but
Shortcuts that save time
When you see hardly, scarcely, no sooner, not only, neither, either, both, whether, lest or though, look ahead for its fixed partner. A wrong or missing partner is very often the error.
Scarcely had the match started than it began to rain heavily. Which word is wrong?
Show solutionHide solution
'Scarcely' pairs with 'when' or 'before'.
'Than' belongs to 'no sooner'.
than -> when
Stopping: prevent, refrain, abstain, desist from. Dependence: depend, rely, count on. Skill: good, expert, adept at; proficient in. Latin comparatives: senior, junior, superior, inferior, prior, prefer to. One group takes one preposition.
Mistakes to avoid
Where most students lose marks on this subtopic.
Adding a preposition after discuss, reach, enter, resemble, request or comprise.
Use no preposition: discuss the plan, reach the station.
Using between for more than two people or things.
Use among for more than two: among the villagers.
Writing prefer X than Y.
Write prefer X to Y.
Using though ... but, because ... so or both ... as well as.
Use one conjunction, or the true pair: both ... and.
Adding not after unless, lest or until.
These words already carry a negative: Unless you hurry, you will miss the bus.
Using since with a length of time: since three days.
Use for with a length: for three days.
Quick revision
Read this the night before the exam.
at 6, on Monday, in May; at the door, on the table, in Bengaluru.
since + start point; for + length of time.
fond of, good at, angry at a thing, angry with a person, senior to, prefer to.
between = two, among = more than two.
No sooner ... than; hardly / scarcely ... when; not only ... but also.
No preposition after discuss, reach, enter, resemble, comprise.
Unless, lest, until already carry a negative.
Practice: 12 questions
Sets of 10, mixed across the question types above. Every answer has a step-by-step explanation.
Topic test · 12 questions
Suggested time 5 min · wrong answers go to your mistake notebook automatically.