IN, AT, ON?

Students live in a constant battle against prepositions. What about we make sure they win?

I usually go with a tip that I learned some years ago. Three words that can make all the difference:

LOCATION
CONTACT
INSIDE

AT for LOCATION:

We use at when we are talking about locations. Most times places with a name.

I'm at the mall. [Diamond Mall, BH Shopping Center, etc]

I'm at school. [Black Star School, Rose School, etc]

I'm at the club. [CEU Club, Summer Club, etc]


ON for CONTACT:

We use on when we are talking about contact.

I'm sitting on a chair. [physical contact: my butt and the chair]

I'm standing on a bridge. [physical contact: my feet and the bridge]

The picture is hanging on the wall. [physical contact: the picture and the wall]


IN for INSIDE:

We use in when we are talking about being inside a place with limits.

I live in Brazil. [Brazil has limits. I'm inside these limits]

I am playing the guitar in my bedroom. [I am inside a room with four walls - limits]

I've got this song playing in my head. [Inside my head, which has limits]


Ok, this simplifies in, on and at when are talking about places. But what about the other situations?


Let's think about TIME.

- My birthday is in June.

June is a month with 30 days. Therefore, it has a beginning and an end, which means limits.

- My English classes are on Mondays and Wednesdays.

Monday is a day, written on a calendar. Contact.

- I'll meet you at seven.

Ok, that's a tricky one! But if the hand of the clock is pointing at 7, this is its location!

Feel like practicing it? Why don't you do it HERE and HERE?

Let me know if this helps!

J.

WILL OR GOING TO?

One of the most common question that teachers will hear is:

What is the difference between 'will' and 'going to'?

And if you open a grammar book trying to find an answer, you are going to come across so many different definitions that your brain is probably going to burn.

So, let's try and simplify it:

To get started, did you know that English and German are siblings?

Yeah, they are. They used to be very similar, long time ago. But English was butchered by French and Latin and got to the point we know now.

However, some curiosities can be observed. For example, in German, people say Ich WILL, which means I want.

Therefore, we have our first basic idea: Will means Want.

Oh, so you don't believe me?

Check out this use of the word will meaning will:

Last Will = The last thing somebody wants before dying.

How does that help us?

We are able to realize a basic difference between will and going to:

Will is the future you want. It is happening inside your head.
Going to is the future you are going to get. It is already happening on the outside

Check out some examples:

I will be married by the time I'm thirty.
[This is what I hope, what I want.]

It's going to rain tonight.
[The sky is probably dark by now. You can't change it anymore.]

At the restaurant:
- How can I help you, sir?
- I'll have the steak.
[This is what I want to have. That doesn't mean they are going to have it at the restaurant.]

Why don't you try an exercise HERE?

Have you got any other tips you'd like to share with us? Leave a comment or email me at jeanish101@gmail.com. I'll be glad to read your ideas!

See you!
J.