Prepositions are small words but they are important ones. Some common mistakes in the use of prepositions are given here.
Incorrect: Who is the girl you were speaking with?
Correct: Who is the girl you were speaking to?
Incorrect: This is the house I was born on.
Correct: This is the house I was born in.
Incorrect: What are you looking in?
Correct: What are you looking at?
To look at something is to gaze in a specified direction.
Incorrect: The manager has promised to look at the matter.
Correct: To manager has promised to look into the matter.
To look into something is to investigate it.
Incorrect: It has been raining from Monday.
Correct: It has been raining since Monday.
Use from to show the starting point only when the end point is also mentioned. In other cases, use since.
Incorrect: I have been waiting from two hours.
Correct: I have been waiting for two hours.
Use for to indicate duration.
Incorrect: I will be attending the classes regularly since Monday.
Correct: I will be attending the classes regularly from Monday.
Incorrect: Divide the food between the children.
Correct: Divide the food among the children.
Between is used when only two parties are involved. Among is used when more than two parties are involved.
Incorrect: We went to school by foot.
Correct: We went to school on foot.
Use ‘on’ with foot.
Incorrect: He doesn’t know how to ride on a bicycle.
Correct: He doesn’t know how to ride a bicycle.