Common Preposition Errors Writers Make

A preposition is a word that describes the relationship between two or more words or elements. Prepositions are essential to the logic of a sentence. Take for example the following sentence.

Prepositions are among the most confused word types. This is because the exact relationship between two elements is not always clear. As such, many people end up choosing the wrong preposition. Read on for explanations of the most common errors in preposition usage.

Prepositions are among the most confused word types. This is because the exact relationship between two elements is not always clear. As such, many people end up choosing the wrong preposition. Read on for explanations of the most common errors in preposition usage.

Table of Contents

1. In vs. At
2. In vs. On
3. In vs. Of
4. In vs. To
5. To vs. With
6. To vs. Of
7. Of vs. Have
8. From vs. For
9. From vs. Since

In vs. At

Of all the prepositions, “in” is perhaps the most often misused. People tend to confuse “in” and “at” when describing locations or times.

Both “London” and “a bookstore on Vanderbilt Ave” are locations, but “in” is appropriate for the former, and “at” is appropriate for the latter. This is because “in” and “at” correspond to different levels of specificity. As an entire city, “London” is more general, while “a bookstore on Vanderbilt Ave” is an exact, specific location. The same applies to descriptions of time.

“In” is used with more general descriptions of time. “The afternoon” is a general, non-specific moment in time. 3 pm, on the other hand, is a precise time, so the use of “at” is appropriate.

In vs. On

“In” and “on” are confused for much the same reasons “in” and “at” are confused. “On” and “at” are sometimes confused as well but at a lower frequency than the in-at or in-on pairs.

Once again, “in” is used for more general locations whereas “on” is used for more specific locations. The difference between “on” and “at” is that “on” is used for slightly less specific locations. In terms of specificity, “in” is the most general; “on” is less general; and “at” is the least general.

The same applies to time: “on” is more specific than “in.”

In vs. Of

“Of” is often used to indicate belonging. As such, it can be confused with “in” when talking about something that belongs to a greater entity that is also a location, such as a state or country.

The One World Trade Center is a building that belongs to the U.S., but “in” rather than “of” should be used here because while the U.S. is a political entity, it is also a location.

In vs. To

“To” is another preposition that is used with locations. The main difference between “to” and “in” is that the former is associated with movement and direction.

To vs. With

“To” and “with” are both prepositions that are often used when describing the relationship between two people.

As briefly mentioned above, “to” is associated with direction. So, when talking about people, “to” indicates direction from one person to another. “With,” on the other hand, is more inclusive.

There are also instances that allow for either “to” or “with.” However, this will lead to the meaning of the sentence changing.

Both sentences are grammatically correct, but their meanings are different.

To vs. Of

“Of” is usually used to indicate belonging, while “to” is used to indicate direction. However, they both indicate connection and thus are mixed up quite often.

Of vs. Have

“Of” and “have” are often confused because they can sound similar when spoken in sentences. Many native English speakers have the tendency to slur the word “have” when speaking; this makes “have” sound similar to “of.” (e.g., “would have” → “woulda”; “should have” → “shoulda”)

This is a good example of why you should not rely only on familiar pronunciation of spoken words when writing.

From vs. For

“From” and “for” are both often used to describe time. However, “from” is used to indicate a starting point, whereas “for” is usedThe fiber mixture is then to indicate duration.

From vs. Since

“From” and “since” are more confusing because they are both used to describe the temporal starting point of an activity.

Can you see the difference? “Since” indicates the starting time of an activity that is continuing to the present. It can also only be used with perfect tense forms. “From,” on the other hand, can be used with all tense forms and can indicate repetition and range.