This guide on prepositions for Class 8 explains their rules, usage, and functions in English grammar. Learn how to place prepositions correctly in sentences and use them after verbs, adjectives, and nouns. Understand how prepositions in English help express time, movement, place, tools, and agency. With practice exercises, worksheets, and answers, this resource ensures a clear understanding of preposition usage for Class 8 and ESL learners.
Prepositions are words which are normally used before nouns, pronouns, or gerunds (i.e., -ing forms of verbs functioning as nouns).
For example,
- He fell off a ladder.
- I have read the chapter on modals.
- They are deaf to my requests for help.
- Give the book to me.
- Water collects in the water bodies during rains.
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1. Position of Prepositions
Prepositions can be used at the end of a sentence if the sentence is a question that begins with a wh- word.
For example,
- How many months have you been practising for?
- Who/whom are you going to write to?
- What film are you interested in?
- Which book are you pointing to?
(a) In relative clauses also, prepositions can be shifted to the end of the clause.
For example,
- He is the person who/whom I can turn to in need.
- This is the man who/whom I told you about yesterday.
- The book which I have taken this poem from is Madhushala.
(In these examples, that can replace ‘who/whom/which.)
He is the person (that) I can turn to in need. (that can be dropped also)
(b) Such shifting of a preposition is not possible in phrasal verbs.
For example,
- The matter which/that I am looking into is serious.
You cannot write this sentence as follows-
- The matter into which I am looking is serious.
(c) The preposition can also be placed before the conjunction whom or which.
We can write:
- He is the person to whom I can turn in need.
- This is the man about whom I told you yesterday.
- The book from which I have taken this poem is Madhushala.
2. Use of Prepositions for Class 8 after a verb with two objects
For example,
- He gave me (indirect object) a book (direct object). = He gave a book to me.
- They brought her (indirect object) a dress (direct object). = They brought a dress for her.
- I showed him (indirect object) the letter (direct object). = I showed the letter to him.
- He sent his son (indirect object) money (direct object). = He sent money to his son.
3. Use of prepositions to express time
(a) at a time or an age
- at 5 o’clock,
- at dawn,
- at night,
- at the age of five
She started school at the age of six.
(b) on a day, date, occasion
- on Sunday,
- on 5 October 2002,
- on Republic Day
- We are leaving for Delhi on the morning/evening/afternoon/night of the tenth of July.
(c) on time = exactly at the time fixed for some activity, neither early nor late.
(d) in time = not late, may be slightly before
- We reached the station in time.
(e) by 6 o’clock = not later than 6 o’clock.
- I’ll complete the work by 2 p.m.
- They’ll have built the road by the end of December.
(f) from… to/till, since, for, during
- I was busy from five to/till seven.
- He has been repairing the machine since morning/8 a.m. etc. (point in time)
- They have served here for ten years. (period of time)
- We stay in our village during the summer holidays.
- The rain stopped during the night.
- They kept discussing the issue till/until midnight.
- He was not seen anywhere till 7 p.m.
(g) before, after
- You must rest after work.
- I don’t want to hold any meeting before lunch.
4. Use of prepositions to express movement
- She flew from Lucknow to Mumbai.
- The train is arriving at platform no. 6.
- Lord Ullin’s daughter and her husband wanted to go across the lake.
- The boatman rowed the couple through the blinding rain.
- Sam and Ritesh walked along the river bank and reached home before their
- friends did.
- You had better get into the train.
- He stepped onto the platform,
- The children skied down the mountainside smoothly.
- He got off the bus and walked to his house.
- The boys are swimming in the river.
- Snow was falling on the hills.
- The eagle is hovering over us.
- Flags were waving above our heads.
5. Use of prepositions for place
- The hotel is on your right.
- Turn right at the crossing/the traffic lights.
- Take the first turning on your right and go straight.
- The school is in front of/opposite my house.
- He is at home/work/the office/school/university/the bridge/the bus stop/” the station.
- He is in Delhi/a village/a town/a city/a street/a room/a forest/a field/ a hotel/a country/a state, etc.
- He lives among the hills.
- Ram is standing between Mohan and Vijaya.
- There is a bridge over the river.
- The river flows under the bridge.
- They had a discussion over a cup of tea.
6. Use of prepositions for tools, agency, description, etc.
- Tie this parcel with a thread.
- Cut the apple into two with a knife.
- The hills are covered with snow.
- I have no money on/with me.
- Call the boy in blue.
- Can you see the girl with brown hair?
- He kept talking to me with his hands all the time in his pockets.
7. Use of prepositions after adjectives
- I’m not partial to anyone.
- It is nice of you to help me.
- He is angry with me.
- My father is very liberal with money.
- She is crazy about classical music.
- He is not interested in the job.
- She is fond of cooking.
- They are sorry for their mistakes.
- He is qualified for the post.
8. Use of prepositions after verbs
- He dreams of teaching in IIT.
- She climbed up the stairs.
- His eyes blazed with anger.
- Shweta thinks of her mother before taking any decision.
- The dog is walking down the stairs.
- They were freed from prison last month.
- We have resolved on teaching slum kids.
- He objected to my proposal.
9. Use of prepositions after nouns
- Have you got the details about the game?
- He covered his face with a mask.
- Everyone admires her strength of character.
- The newsletter is a channel of communication between the teacher and
- the students.
- I like fruit and milk for breakfast.
- He put a new film in his camera.
- He is an honour to the profession.
Prepositional Phrases:
Prepositional Phrases: are groups of words that begin with a preposition, such as: at a loss, on the table, by the way and in the well. A prepositional phrase may end with a noun, pronoun, gerund, or clause which acts as the object of the preposition.
For example,
- They were sitting at home. (The noun home acts as the object of the preposition at.)
- Ravi received an e-mail from Sadiq today. (The noun Sadiq acts as the object of the preposition from.)
Objects of prepositions may also be adverbs, adjectives, or relative pronouns (conjunctions).
For example,
- I will be back by then. (adverb)
- The condition has gone from bad to worse. (adjective)
- The hospital is too far from here. (adverb)
- This is the boy for whom I wanted your help. (relative pronoun)
Prepositional phrases usually function as adjectives or adverbs.
When a prepositional phrase is used as an adjective, it answers the question ‘Which one?
- The plants in Rashi’s garden are very pretty. (Which plants? The ones in Rashi’s garden.)
When used as an adverb, the prepositional phrase answers questions such as ‘How?’,
“When?’ or ‘Where?’.
- The dogs were running on the beach. (Where were the dogs running? On the beach.)
- He took admission in 2005. (When did he take admission? In 2005.)
Prepositions for Class 8 Exercises
Prepositions for Class 8 Exercises provide practice in using prepositions of time, place, movement, and manner correctly. These exercises help students strengthen their grammar skills through fill-in-the-blanks, sentence correction, and prepositional phrase usage.
Exercise 1
A. Fill in the blanks with the correct prepositions.
1. Sugar dissolves ________ water.
2. You have to put more effort ________ your work.
3. There’s a signboard ________ either end of the road.
4. The report is silent ________ the main issue.
5. Your article is full ________ silly errors.
6. We listen to the news ________ the radio.
7. The house is infested ________ mosquitos.
8. Political parties are hungry ________ power.
9. He left ________ a hurry.
10. I’ll be back ________ fifteen minutes.
Exercise 2
B. Fill in the blanks with suitable prepositions.
1. He withdrew two thousand rupees ________the account.
2. The boy was praised ________ his honesty.
3. The trousers are too tight ________ the waist.
4. We should not feel hatred ________ our opponents in a debate.
5. I am totally opposed ________ corruption in society.
6. The wheels got stuck ________ the mud.
7. Wine is made ________ grapes.
8. She is upset ________ her children.
9. I don’t believe in ________ astrology.
10. She is very good ________ playing the guitar.
11. He sat ________ me all night.
12. I have four members in my family ________ my parents.
13. The sun disappeared ________ the hills.
14. B comes ________ A and C.
15. I found a silver spoon ________ the old pots.
16. Don’t throw banana skins ________ the road.
Exercise 3
C. Use the correct preposition after each of these nouns and make sentences. Consult a good dictionary.
apology, blame, compassion, need, pity, comparison, doubt, result, approach
Exercise 4
D. Use the correct preposition after each of these adjectives and make sentences. Consult a good dictionary.
common, contrary, devoted, faithful, favourable, loyal, necessary, obedient
Exercise 5
E. Use the correct preposition after each of these verbs and make sentences with
them. Consult a good dictionary.
appoint, lead, object, differ, protect, prevent, clash, agree, beware, die, care, wish
Exercise 6
F. Complete this paragraph by filling in the blanks with the correct prepositions of time and place.
One day, two friends-a cat and a dog-were walking ________ a road that led to the city. They were going there to look for food because they thought they would get better things to eat________ the city. They had set off from home ________ 5 o’clock in the evening and had not rested ________ then. It was 7 o’clock now going by the bell ________ the distance. The cat was tired and said, ‘Let’s rest ________ a while ________ that tree.’ The dog said reluctantly, ‘Well, if you say so…but I’m not sure if we should stay here long. There could be danger lurking ________ the shadows.
But the cat had already curled up ________ a low branch and shut its eyes. The dog sat down and kept guard. Sometime later, his ears pricked up on hearing a sudden sound. He looked ________ the direction from where the sound had come and gave a warning growl. There was a rustling sound ________ the bush ________ the tree. The cat was still asleep. The dog got ready to deal with any danger that may emerge ________ the bush, and just then a small shadow landed right ________ him.
Exercise 7
G. This extract is not edited. Identify the error in the use of prepositions in each line and write the correct one in the blank alongside.
One beautiful spring day, a red rose blossomed over a tree i. ______________
in a forest. As the rose looked along the forest, a pine tree ii. ______________
nearby said, ‘What a beautiful flower!’ The rose looked off the iii. ______________
tree and said, ‘Yes, indeed!’ A sunflower growing through it on iv. ______________
the other side, asked, ‘Why do you say that? On this forest there v. ______________
are many beautiful flowers. You are just one of them. Look under vi. ______________
you.’ The red rose replied, ‘I’ve looked into and onto and have seen vii. ______________
everyone admiring me.’
Exercise 8
H. Complete these sentences using suitable prepositional phrases.
1. The man ________ is my neighbour.
2. The noisy children ________ were punished.
3. The door ________ was painted blue.
4. The wind made the trees sway ________
5. The birds flew down and settled ________
6. Rita was surprised to get a call ________.
7. Why did they go_______?
8. Yasmin and Shehnaz walked ________ .
9. They are planning to visit Thailand ________ .
10. You should walk ________ softly, without making any noise.
Prepositions for Class 8 Exercises Answers
Prepositions for Class 8 Exercises Answers offer accurate solutions to practice questions on prepositions of time, place, movement, and manner. These answers help students understand correct usage and improve their grammar skills effectively.
Answer 1
1. Sugar dissolves in water.
2. You have to put more effort into your work.
3. There’s a signboard at either end of the road.
4. The report is silent on the main issue.
5. Your article is full of silly errors.
6. We listen to the news on the radio.
7. The house is infested with mosquitos.
8. Political parties are hungry for power.
9. He left in a hurry.
10. I’ll be back in fifteen minutes.
Answer 2
1. He withdrew two thousand rupees from the account.
2. The boy was praised for his honesty.
3. The trousers are too tight at the waist.
4. We should not feel hatred towards our opponents in a debate.
5. I am totally opposed to corruption in society.
6. The wheels got stuck in the mud.
7. Wine is made from grapes.
8. She is upset with her children.
9. I don’t believe in astrology.
10. She is very good at playing the guitar.
11. He sat by me all night.
12. I have four members in my family besides my parents.
13. The sun disappeared behind the hills.
14. B comes between A and C.
15. I found a silver spoon among the old pots.
16. Don’t throw banana skins on the road.
Answer 3
Apology for – She offered an apology for her mistake during the meeting.
Blame for – The teacher put the blame for the broken window on the students.
Compassion for – We should have compassion for those who are suffering.
Need for – There is a growing need for skilled professionals in the industry.
Pity on – The kind woman took pity on the stray dog and gave it food.
Comparison with – In comparison with last year, this year’s sales have increased.
Doubt about – I have no doubt about his ability to succeed.
Result of – The poor grades were the result of his lack of preparation.
Approach to – His approach to solving problems is very logical.
Answer 4
Common to – This tradition is common to many cultures around the world.
Contrary to – Contrary to popular belief, drinking coffee in moderation is not harmful.
Devoted to – She is completely devoted to her family and career.
Faithful to – A good friend always remains faithful to their promises.
Favourable to – The weather conditions were favourable to our outdoor event.
Loyal to – He has always been loyal to his team, even in difficult times.
Necessary for – A balanced diet is necessary for good health.
Obedient to – The soldiers are trained to be obedient to their commanders.
Answer 5
Appoint as – She was appointed as the new manager of the company.
Lead to – Hard work and dedication always lead to success.
Object to – Many residents object to the construction of a new factory in their area.
Differ from – His opinion differs from mine on this issue.
Protect from – Sunscreen helps protect your skin from harmful UV rays.
Prevent from – The heavy rain prevented us from going outside.
Clash with – His views often clash with those of his colleagues.
Agree with – I completely agree with your point of view.
Beware of – Beware of pickpockets in crowded places.
Die of – Many animals die of hunger in the wild.
Care for – She cares for her elderly parents with love and patience.
Wish for – On her birthday, she wished for happiness and good health.
Answer 6
One day, two friends—a cat and a dog—were walking along a road that led to the city. They were going there to look for food because they thought they would get better things to eat in the city. They had set off from home at 5 o’clock in the evening and had not rested since then. It was 7 o’clock now, going by the bell in the distance.
The cat was tired and said, “Let’s rest for a while under that tree.” The dog said reluctantly, “Well, if you say so… but I’m not sure if we should stay here long. There could be danger lurking in the shadows.”
But the cat had already curled up on a low branch and shut its eyes. The dog sat down and kept guard. Sometime later, his ears pricked up on hearing a sudden sound. He looked in the direction from where the sound had come and gave a warning growl.
There was a rustling sound in the bush near the tree. The cat was still asleep. The dog got ready to deal with any danger that may emerge from the bush, and just then a small shadow landed right on him.
Answer 7
i. over → on
ii. along → around
iii. off → at
iv. through → beside
v. On → In
vi. under → around
vii. into and onto → around and below
Answer 8
1. The man next door is my neighbour.
2. The noisy children in the classroom were punished.
3. The door at the entrance was painted blue.
4. The wind made the trees sway in the breeze.
5. The birds flew down and settled on the ground.
6. Rita was surprised to get a call in the middle of the night.
7. Why did they go out of town?
8. Yasmin and Shehnaz walked along the beach.
9. They are planning to visit Thailand next year.
10. You should walk on tiptoe softly, without making any noise.
FAQs on Prepositions for Class 8
What are the prepositions for Class 8?
Ans: Prepositions for Class 8 include words that are normally used before nouns, pronouns, or gerunds (i.e., -ing forms of verbs functioning as nouns).
- Prepositions of Place (in, on, at, under, over, between)
- Prepositions of Time (before, after, during, since, until)
- Prepositions of Movement (into, onto, towards, through)
- Prepositions of Manner (with, like, by)
- Prepositions of Cause/Reason (because of, due to)
What is the best way to practice prepositions?
Ans: The best way to practice prepositions is through:
- Fill-in-the-blank exercises – Complete sentences with correct prepositions.
- Sentence correction – Identify and correct incorrect preposition usage.
- Reading and observation – Read books, articles, and dialogues to see how prepositions are used in context.
- Writing exercises – Create sentences or short paragraphs using prepositions.
- Worksheets & quizzes – Solve preposition-based worksheets for revision.
How do you identify a preposition?
Ans: You can identify a preposition by checking if the word links a noun or pronoun to another part of the sentence, indicating time, place, direction, manner, or reason.
- It is usually followed by a noun or pronoun (e.g., “The book is on the table.”)
- It answers “Where?”, “When?”, “How?”, or “Why?” (e.g., “She arrived after the meeting.”)
- It forms a prepositional phrase (e.g., “In the morning, we went jogging.”)
What are the 20 most common prepositions?
Ans: Here are 20 commonly used prepositions:
- In
- On
- At
- By
- For
- With
- About
- Over
- Under
- Between
- After
- Before
- Since
- Until
- Through
- From
- To
- Into
- Like
- Against
