Year 3 English: Prepositions: showing where, when and how
Part of the Year 3 English word classes chapter. Chapter overview · whole chapter on one page
Prepositions: showing where, when and how
A preposition shows where something is, when something happens or how things are related. It often comes before a noun or a pronoun, such as under the table or after lunch.
The group of words that starts with a preposition is a prepositional phrase. In along the beach, the word along is the preposition and the beach is the noun phrase that follows it.
Common prepositions are: in, on, under, over, behind, between, through, across, into, from, during, after.
Key ideas
- A preposition shows where, when or how things are related.
- It is followed by a noun or pronoun: under the table, after lunch, into it.
- Prepositions of time include during and after: during the storm, after lunch.
- Prepositions of place include under, behind, between and across.
Method. Find the job of under in the sentence, then name its word class.
- Read the sentence and find the word. Look at the word in its sentence, not on its own.The cat is under the table.
- Ask the test question. A preposition shows where, when or how things are related.Look at the word after under. A preposition is followed by a noun or pronoun, and it shows where, when or how.
- Write the answer. preposition
Check. Check the job of under once more in the sentence. ✓
Watch out. A preposition is followed by a noun or a pronoun: under the table, after lunch.
Method. Find each word in the sentence that is a preposition.
- Read the sentence. Check the job of each word.Our kite flew above the trees.
- Pick out the prepositions. Each preposition does the job that the chapter describes.above
- Write the answer. above
Check. Each word in the answer is a preposition. ✓
Watch out. A preposition is followed by a noun or a pronoun: under the table, after lunch.
Method. Find each word in the sentence that is a preposition.
- Read the sentence. Check the job of each word.Leo hid behind the sofa during the storm.
- Pick out the prepositions. Each preposition does the job that the chapter describes.behind, during
- Write the answer. behind, during
Check. Each word in the answer is a preposition. ✓
Watch out. A preposition is followed by a noun or a pronoun: under the table, after lunch.
Watch out
Watch out: after is a preposition in after lunch, but it is a conjunction in after we eat, because it joins two parts. Check what follows the word: a noun means a preposition, and a whole verb and subject means a conjunction.
Exam tip
Grown-up tip. Ask your child to move a toy: under the table, behind the sofa, across the rug. Say each preposition, and then the noun that follows it.
Exercise 3E Practice: prepositions
Method. Find the job of under in the sentence, then name its word class.
- Read the sentence and find the word. Look at the word in its sentence, not on its own.The cat is under the table.
- Ask the test question. A preposition shows where, when or how things are related.Look at the word after under. A preposition is followed by a noun or pronoun, and it shows where, when or how.
- Write the answer. preposition
Check. Check the job of under once more in the sentence. ✓
Watch out. A preposition is followed by a noun or a pronoun: under the table, after lunch.
Method. Find the job of along in the sentence, then name its word class.
- Read the sentence and find the word. Look at the word in its sentence, not on its own.We walked along the beach after lunch.
- Ask the test question. A preposition shows where, when or how things are related.Look at the word after along. A preposition is followed by a noun or pronoun, and it shows where, when or how.
- Write the answer. preposition
Check. Check the job of along once more in the sentence. ✓
Watch out. A preposition is followed by a noun or a pronoun: under the table, after lunch.
Method. Find the job of Leo in the sentence, then name its word class.
- Read the sentence and find the word. Look at the word in its sentence, not on its own.Leo hid behind the sofa during the storm.
- Ask the test question. A noun names a person, a place, a thing, an animal or an idea.Leo names a particular person or place, and it starts with a capital letter, so it is a proper noun. A proper noun is a kind of noun.
- Write the answer. noun
Check. Check the job of Leo once more in the sentence. ✓
Watch out. Ideas such as kindness are nouns too. Proper nouns start with a capital letter.
Method. Find the job of Grandad in the sentence, then name its word class.
- Read the sentence and find the word. Look at the word in its sentence, not on its own.The letter came from Grandad.
- Ask the test question. A noun names a person, a place, a thing, an animal or an idea.Grandad names a particular person or place, and it starts with a capital letter, so it is a proper noun. A proper noun is a kind of noun.
- Write the answer. noun
Check. Check the job of Grandad once more in the sentence. ✓
Watch out. Ideas such as kindness are nouns too. Proper nouns start with a capital letter.
Method. Find each word in the sentence that is a preposition.
- Read the sentence. Check the job of each word.The bus goes through the tunnel.
- Pick out the prepositions. Each preposition does the job that the chapter describes.through
- Write the answer. through
Check. Each word in the answer is a preposition. ✓
Watch out. A preposition is followed by a noun or a pronoun: under the table, after lunch.
Method. Find each word in the sentence that is a preposition.
- Read the sentence. Check the job of each word.Put the cups on the shelf.
- Pick out the prepositions. Each preposition does the job that the chapter describes.on
- Write the answer. on
Check. Each word in the answer is a preposition. ✓
Watch out. A preposition is followed by a noun or a pronoun: under the table, after lunch.
Method. Find each word in the sentence that is a preposition.
- Read the sentence. Check the job of each word.The children ran into the hall.
- Pick out the prepositions. Each preposition does the job that the chapter describes.into
- Write the answer. into
Check. Each word in the answer is a preposition. ✓
Watch out. A preposition is followed by a noun or a pronoun: under the table, after lunch.
Method. Find each word in the sentence that is a preposition.
- Read the sentence. Check the job of each word.The ball rolled between the chairs.
- Pick out the prepositions. Each preposition does the job that the chapter describes.between
- Write the answer. between
Check. Each word in the answer is a preposition. ✓
Watch out. A preposition is followed by a noun or a pronoun: under the table, after lunch.
Method. Find the preposition for crossing from one side to the other.
- Read the clue. From one side to the other is the meaning of across.from one side to the other
- Find the word. We walked across the road.across
- Write the answer. across
Check. We walked across the road. ✓
Watch out. Over and across look alike, but across means from one side to the other.
Method. Find the preposition that shows movement to the inside.
- Read the clue. Movement to the inside of something is into.to the inside of
- Find the word. The dog ran into the house.into
- Write the answer. into
Check. The dog ran into the house. ✓
Watch out. Into is one word, and it shows movement.
Method. Find the preposition that shows a time period.
- Read the clue. In the course of a time is during.in the course of
- Find the word. We swam during the summer.during
- Write the answer. during
Check. We swam during the summer. ✓
Watch out. During is followed by a time, such as the summer.
Method. Find the one word that is a preposition.
- Read the sentence. Check the job of each word.Put the cups on the shelf.
- Find the word that is a preposition. Only one word in this sentence does this job.on is a preposition
- Write the answer. on
Check. Read the sentence again and check on. ✓
Watch out. A preposition is followed by a noun or a pronoun: under the table, after lunch.
Method. A prepositional phrase is a preposition with the noun or pronoun that follows it.
- Find along. Along is followed by the beach.along the beach
- Find after. After is followed by lunch.after lunch
- Write the answer. along the beach, after lunch
Check. Each phrase starts with a preposition. ✓
Watch out. The phrase has the preposition and the noun together.
Method. Check whether the word is followed by a noun or pronoun, and shows where or when.
- Look at over and behind. Both show where something is, and both can be followed by a noun.over the, behind the
- Look at bird and quickly. Bird is a noun, and quickly tells how, so they are not prepositions.bird: noun; quickly: adverb
- Write the answer. over, behind
Check. Over and behind are the two prepositions. ✓
Watch out. Prepositions come before nouns and pronouns.
Method. Put beside before a noun.
- Use beside. Beside shows where the dog is, and it comes before a noun.beside the fire
- Check the noun. Fire is a noun, the name of a thing.the fire
- Write the answer. Any correct sentence, for example: The dog sleeps beside the fire.
Check. Beside is followed by the noun fire. ✓
Watch out. Check the preposition is followed by a noun or pronoun.
Method. Choose the word that shows where.
- Read the sentence. The shoes are where? Under the bed.under the bed
- Check the other words. Yesterday tells when and quickly tells how, so both are adverbs.adverbs
- Write the answer. under. It shows where the shoes are. Yesterday and quickly are adverbs, not prepositions.
Check. Under shows where the shoes are. ✓
Watch out. A preposition is followed by a noun or pronoun: under the bed.
Method. Check what follows the word, and whether it joins two parts.
- Look at after lunch. Lunch is a noun, so after is followed by a noun.after lunch
- Check the job. A conjunction joins two parts of a sentence. This after joins nothing.after: preposition
- Write the answer. No. After lunch is a preposition. After is followed by a noun, lunch, and it does not join two parts of a sentence.
Check. After lunch is a phrase with a preposition. ✓
Watch out. A conjunction joins two parts, such as after we eat.
Method. Use after once before a noun, and once before a whole clause.
- First sentence. After lunch: after is followed by a noun.We play after lunch.
- Second sentence. After we finish our lunch: after joins two parts, so it is a conjunction.We play after we finish our lunch.
- Write the answer. Any correct answer, for example: We play after lunch. and We play after we finish our lunch.
Check. Each sentence makes sense. ✓
Watch out. Check whether a whole verb and subject follow the word.