Common Mistakes in the Use of Prepositions

Preposition Mistakes! From time to time, people may choose the wrong preposition to use. While English speakers will still understand what you are trying to say if you use an incorrect preposition, being able to use the correct ones will make your English sound much more fluent.

In this section, we will look at some common mistakes related to prepositions so that you can be confident in avoiding these errors in both your spoken and written English.

Common Preposition Mistakes

Learn a comprehensive list of common preposition mistakes in English and how to avoid them, along with example sentences and printable ESL worksheets.

Examples of Common Preposition Mistakes and How to Correct Them

Prepositions can be difficult to master in any language, including English. Below are some common mistakes people make with prepositions:

❌ Incorrect: I cannot agree to you in this situation.
✅ Correct: I cannot agree with you in this situation.

❌ Incorrect: She agreed with my demands.
✅ Correct: She agreed to my demands.

❌ Incorrect: I have been waiting from four hours.
✅ Correct: I have been waiting for four hours.

❌ Incorrect: I live on 123 Main Street.
✅ Correct: I live at 123 Main Street.

❌ Incorrect: I will meet you in Monday.
✅ Correct: I will meet you on Monday.

❌ Incorrect: She reached at the airport at 4 p.m.
✅ Correct: She reached the airport at 4 p.m.

❌ Incorrect: I bought the bag with $200.
✅ Correct: I bought the bag for $200.

❌ Incorrect: She is a student of Oxford University.
✅ Correct: She is a student at Oxford University.

These are just a few examples of common preposition mistakes. Remember that prepositions often depend on the context and the specific meaning you want to convey, so it is important to pay attention to correct usage in different situations.