Day 1 Activity: Common Preposition Mistakes
IELTS with Mujahid | Beginner level | Works on phone, tablet and laptop
Why this matters. A preposition is a small word like in, on, at, to or for that shows the link between a noun or pronoun and the rest of the sentence. These tiny words cause some of the biggest mistakes for learners from the subcontinent and Asia, because many of them do not match your first language. In IELTS Writing, one wrong preposition can lose marks for grammatical accuracy, even when your ideas are excellent. In Speaking, phrases like “good at”, “interested in” and “depends on” appear in almost every topic. You already know that nouns and pronouns follow prepositions, so we say “with her” and “to him”, using the object pronouns you studied earlier. Verbs and adverbs also work with prepositions, for example “arrive at”, “listen to” and “think about”. The good news is that most mistakes repeat again and again, so learning a small list gives a big improvement. Today you learn the ten most common traps and practise them until they feel natural.
Self-learning step: Open Google and search “common preposition mistakes for English learners”. Read one page for five minutes, then come back and try the activities.
| Idea | Correct | Common mistake |
|---|---|---|
| Clock time | at 9 o’clock | in 9 o’clock |
| Days and dates | on Monday, on 15 October | in Monday |
| Months, years, seasons, parts of the day | in March, in 2004, in winter, in the evening | on March, at 2004 |
| Night | at night | in night |
| Place: point, surface, enclosed | at the bus stop, on the table, in Lahore | in the bus stop, in the table, at Lahore |
| Discuss, enter, reach | discuss the plan, enter the room, reach the station | discuss about, enter into, reach to |
| Arrive and go home | arrive at the airport, go home | arrive to, go to home |
| Length vs starting point | for ten years, since 2015 | since ten years, from 2015 |
Activity 1: In, on or at? (time)
Tap the correct preposition for each time expression.
Activity 2: In, on or at? (place)
Think: a point, a surface, or an enclosed space or city?
Activity 3: Fixed pairs
Some words always take the same preposition. Choose the correct one.
Activity 4: Do you need a preposition?
Some verbs do not take a preposition, and some need one. Tap the correct sentence.
Activity 5: Mistake detective
Each sentence has one wrong preposition. Tap it, then press Check to see the fix.
Activity 6: Prepositions in IELTS sentences
Choose the correct word for Writing and Speaking phrases.
Activity 7: Write it yourself
Use the lines below. Write in your own words, then tick the checklist.
Well done. Prepositions are small, but fixing them makes your English clearer and more accurate. Keep practicing at www.goatguruenglish.com
IELTS with Mujahid | www.goatguruenglish.com