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Prepositions & Collocations

English Language · Grammar

Useful for: SSC CGL, IBPS Banking, OSSC RHT — Regular High School Teacher, OSEPA Primary Teacher / JT Category-I, OSEPA Upper Primary — Arts, OSEPA Upper Primary — Science, OSSC English, OSSSC Govt Physical Education Teacher (PET)

and 6 more exams

OSSSC Govt TGT Arts, OSSSC Govt TGT Science — CBZ, OSSSC Govt TGT Science — PCM, SSB Language Teachers, SSB Lecturer (Degree Colleges), SSB TGT Arts

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Overview

Many prepositions are fixed by the word before them; learning common pairs is faster than reasoning each time.

Key points

Time: at (exact time), on (days, dates), in (months, years, seasons).
Place: at (point), in (enclosed space), on (surface).
Fixed pairs: good at, afraid of, interested in, married to, senior to, prefer to, comply with.
Between two; among more than two.
"Since" with a point of time; "for" with a period.

Explanation

"Prefer X to Y" — not "than".
"Superior/inferior/senior/junior/prior" take "to".
No preposition after "discuss", "enter" (a room), "reach" or "attend".
"Beside" = next to; "besides" = in addition to.

Step by step

Read the whole sentence and find its subject, verb and tense.
Apply the specific rule (agreement, article, preposition, tense).
Re-read the corrected sentence for meaning and style.

Examples

"Ravi is good at coding."
"She prefers tea to coffee."
"We discussed the plan" (not "discussed about").

Traps and advanced points

Trap: Adding "about" after discuss.
Trap: Using "than" after prefer or senior.
Trap: Confusing beside and besides.

Quick revision

At time, on day, in month.
Senior/prior/prefer → to.
No preposition after discuss/reach.

Practice MCQs

At a Nagpur interview, choose the standard preposition in the sentence about Dev’s skill.
1. Dev is good on planning.
2. Dev is good to planning.
3. Dev is good at planning.
4. Dev is good in planning.
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Answer: (c) Dev is good at planning.. The standard collocation for ability is “good at”.
At a Patna interview, choose the standard preposition in the sentence about Ishaan’s skill.
1. Ishaan is good on mathematics.
2. Ishaan is good at mathematics.
3. Ishaan is good to mathematics.
4. Ishaan is good in mathematics.
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Answer: (b) Ishaan is good at mathematics.. The standard collocation for ability is “good at”.
At a Pune interview, choose the standard preposition in the sentence about Kabir’s skill.
1. Kabir is good in data analysis.
2. Kabir is good on data analysis.
3. Kabir is good at data analysis.
4. Kabir is good to data analysis.
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Answer: (c) Kabir is good at data analysis.. The standard collocation for ability is “good at”.
At a Surat interview, choose the standard preposition in the sentence about Meera’s skill.
1. Meera is good on public speaking.
2. Meera is good at public speaking.
3. Meera is good to public speaking.
4. Meera is good in public speaking.
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Answer: (b) Meera is good at public speaking.. The standard collocation for ability is “good at”.
At a Bhopal interview, choose the standard preposition in the sentence about Pooja’s skill.
1. Pooja is good on negotiation.
2. Pooja is good to negotiation.
3. Pooja is good in negotiation.
4. Pooja is good at negotiation.
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Answer: (d) Pooja is good at negotiation.. The standard collocation for ability is “good at”.
Fill in the blank: "I prefer tea ___ coffee."
1. than
2. to
3. over than
4. from
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Answer: (b) to. "Prefer" takes "to", not "than".
Fill in the blank: "We go to school ___ Monday."
1. in
2. at
3. on
4. by
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Answer: (c) on. Days of the week take "on".
At a Jaipur interview, choose the standard preposition in the sentence about Dev’s skill.
1. Dev is good on planning.
2. Dev is good in planning.
3. Dev is good to planning.
4. Dev is good at planning.
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Answer: (d) Dev is good at planning.. The standard collocation for ability is “good at”.
At a Jaipur interview, choose the standard preposition in the sentence about Nisha’s skill.
1. Nisha is good to drawing.
2. Nisha is good on drawing.
3. Nisha is good in drawing.
4. Nisha is good at drawing.
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Answer: (d) Nisha is good at drawing.. The standard collocation for ability is “good at”.
At a Jaipur interview, choose the standard preposition in the sentence about Kabir’s skill.
1. Kabir is good on data analysis.
2. Kabir is good at data analysis.
3. Kabir is good in data analysis.
4. Kabir is good to data analysis.
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Answer: (b) Kabir is good at data analysis.. The standard collocation for ability is “good at”.
At a Jaipur interview, choose the standard preposition in the sentence about Arjun’s skill.
1. Arjun is good in mental arithmetic.
2. Arjun is good to mental arithmetic.
3. Arjun is good at mental arithmetic.
4. Arjun is good on mental arithmetic.
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Answer: (c) Arjun is good at mental arithmetic.. The standard collocation for ability is “good at”.
At a Jaipur interview, choose the standard preposition in the sentence about Tara’s skill.
1. Tara is good on proofreading.
2. Tara is good in proofreading.
3. Tara is good to proofreading.
4. Tara is good at proofreading.
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Answer: (d) Tara is good at proofreading.. The standard collocation for ability is “good at”.
At a Jaipur interview, choose the standard preposition in the sentence about Asha’s skill.
1. Asha is good at chess.
2. Asha is good to chess.
3. Asha is good on chess.
4. Asha is good in chess.
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Answer: (a) Asha is good at chess.. The standard collocation for ability is “good at”.
At a Jaipur interview, choose the standard preposition in the sentence about Ravi’s skill.
1. Ravi is good on coding.
2. Ravi is good to coding.
3. Ravi is good at coding.
4. Ravi is good in coding.
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Answer: (c) Ravi is good at coding.. The standard collocation for ability is “good at”.
At a Jaipur interview, choose the standard preposition in the sentence about Meera’s skill.
1. Meera is good on public speaking.
2. Meera is good to public speaking.
3. Meera is good in public speaking.
4. Meera is good at public speaking.
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Answer: (d) Meera is good at public speaking.. The standard collocation for ability is “good at”.