Courseversity

Prepositions

Primary EducationGrade 3English & Language ArtsCV-PRI-G03-ELA-U06-L0645–60 min

You will learn

  • Name common prepositions.
  • Show place and direction.
  • Show time.
  • Use prepositional phrases.

Version 0.2 · expanded edition · built from cited public sources Content is based on the official frameworks and sources listed under Sources and standards. No official endorsement is claimed. Written in the style of common primary school assessments. No exam result is promised.

Student lesson

The lesson in 60 seconds

  1. A preposition links a noun to the rest of the sentence.
  2. Place: in, on, under, beside, between.
  3. Direction: to, from, through, across.
  4. Time: before, after, during, at.

Words to know

preposition
a word that shows the position, direction or time of a noun
prepositional phrase
a preposition with its noun, such as under the table
position
where something is
direction
the way something moves

1. Discover: The cat and the box

A cat sat on the table. Then it jumped under the chair, ran through the door and walked across the yard. After lunch, it slept between two boxes. Before dark, it came back to the house.

Think: Which small words tell where and when?

2. Understand: Where and when words

Idea 1: Place

A preposition shows position: on the table, under the chair, between two boxes.

Idea 2: Direction

Some show direction: through the door, across the yard, to the house.

Idea 3: Time

Some show time: after lunch, before dark, during the storm. A preposition and its noun make a prepositional phrase.

Remember: Prepositions show place, direction and time; with a noun they form a prepositional phrase.

3. Worked examples

Example 1 (I show you): Place

Where did the cat sit?

  1. on…

Answer: on the table

Example 2 (We do it together): Direction

Which phrase shows direction?

  1. through, across.

Answer: through the door (or across the yard)

Example 3 (You try): Time

Which phrase shows time?

Show the steps and answer
  1. after, before.

Answer: after lunch (or before dark)

Did you know?

English has about 150 prepositions, but only a few are used all the time.

Why this matters

Prepositions make clear where things are and when things happen.

4. Explore: Position game

Show prepositions.

  1. Place a pencil on, under and beside a book.
  2. Say each preposition.
  3. Write the phrase.
  4. Use it in a sentence.
Think about it: what did you notice?

You can use prepositions.

5. Practise

Say it in a sentence

Use these starters when you talk about the lesson. Say them out loud.

  • The cat is on ___.
  • It went through ___.
  • It slept between ___.
  • After ___, it ___.

Guided practice

Question 1. A word showing position, direction or time is a ___.

preposition

Question 2. A preposition with its noun is a ___ phrase.

prepositional

Question 3. Where something is is its ___.

position

Independent practice

Level 1: Start

  1. A word showing position, direction or time is a ___.
  2. A preposition with its noun is a ___ phrase.
  3. Where something is is its ___.
  4. The way something moves is its ___.
  5. The cat sat ___ the table.

Level 2: Grow

  1. Fill: The cat is ___ the chair. (under)
  2. Fill: She walked ___ the yard. (across)
  3. Fill: We eat ___ lunch. (after)

Level 3: Stretch

  1. Is under a preposition?
  2. Is after a time preposition?
  3. Does a prepositional phrase have a noun?

Answers are in the answer key below. Try first, then check.

6. Apply: English in everyday life

Write six sentences with place, direction and time prepositions.

Show a sample answer

six sentences

Another one. Write eight sentences each with a different preposition.

Show a sample answer

a completed task

7. Common mistakes

Mistake: Rushing without checking.
Fix: Slow down and check your work.
Another mistake: Skipping the worked example.
Fix: Study the example first, then try.

8. Lesson summary and revision card

I can…

  • I can name common prepositions.
  • I can show place and direction.
  • I can show time.
  • I can use prepositional phrases.

9. Check and master

Answer all 14 questions. You will see feedback after each one.

1. A preposition shows position, direction or ___.

2. Which is a place preposition?

3. Which is a direction preposition?

4. Which is a time preposition?

5. The cat sat ___ the table.

6. The cat jumped ___ the chair.

7. The cat ran ___ the door.

8. The cat walked ___ the yard.

9. The cat slept ___ two boxes.

10. The cat came back ___ dark.

11. Which is a prepositional phrase?

12. Which sentence uses a preposition?

Challenge 1. Which preposition fits? The ball rolled ___ the hill.

Challenge 2. Which preposition shows time? We play ___ school.

Your result appears here after you answer every question.

10. Key takeaways

  • A preposition links a noun to the rest of the sentence.
  • Place: in, on, under, beside, between.
  • Direction: to, from, through, across.
  • Time: before, after, during, at.

11. Next lesson

Next lesson: Simple sentences. Keep going with the next idea in this course.

Exam practice

These questions are written in the style of common school and international primary assessments. Try them on your own, without looking back. Then check your answers in the marking guide. The marks are shown in brackets.

  1. What is a preposition? [1 mark]
  2. Name three prepositions. [3 marks]
  3. What is a prepositional phrase? Give one. [2 marks]
  4. Write a sentence with a time preposition. [2 marks]
  5. Explain how prepositions help the reader. [3 marks]

Total: 11 marks.

Marking guide and model answers
  1. a word showing position, direction or time [1]
  2. on [1]; under [1]; between/after [1]
  3. preposition with its noun [1]; e.g. under the chair [1]
  4. uses a time preposition [1]; makes sense [1]
  5. show where [1]; show direction [1]; show when [1]

Score guide: 10 to 11 = secure. 7 to 9 = nearly there, revise the parts you missed. Under 7 = work through the lesson again with a grown-up.

Printable worksheet

  1. A word showing position, direction or time is a ___.
  2. A preposition with its noun is a ___ phrase.
  3. Where something is is its ___.
  4. The way something moves is its ___.
  5. The cat sat ___ the table.
  6. Fill: The cat is ___ the chair. (under)
  7. Fill: She walked ___ the yard. (across)
  8. Fill: We eat ___ lunch. (after)
  9. Is under a preposition?
  10. Is after a time preposition?

Homework

Write eight sentences each with a different preposition.

Answer key and marking scheme

Question Expected response Marks
1. A word showing position, direction or time is a ___. preposition 1
2. A preposition with its noun is a ___ phrase. prepositional 1
3. Where something is is its ___. position 1
4. The way something moves is its ___. direction 1
5. The cat sat ___ the table. on 1
6. Fill: The cat is ___ the chair. (under) under 1
7. Fill: She walked ___ the yard. (across) across 1
8. Fill: We eat ___ lunch. (after) after 1
9. Is under a preposition? yes 1
10. Is after a time preposition? yes 1
Total 10

Independent practice answers. Level 1: 1 preposition; 2 prepositional; 3 position; 4 direction; 5 on. Level 2: 1 under; 2 across; 3 after. Level 3: 1 yes; 2 yes; 3 yes.

Quiz answers: 1 B, 2 C, 3 A, 4 B, 5 C, 6 A, 7 B, 8 C, 9 A, 10 B, 11 C, 12 A, Challenge 1 B, Challenge 2 C.

Mastery and remediation

Objective Bronze (Developing) Silver (Proficient) Gold (Advanced)
O1 Name common prepositions Shows this with help from an adult or a picture Does this independently and explains how they know Explains it clearly and uses it in a new situation
O2 Show place and direction Shows this with help from an adult or a picture Does this independently and explains how they know Explains it clearly and uses it in a new situation
O3 Show time Shows this with help from an adult or a picture Does this independently and explains how they know Explains it clearly and uses it in a new situation
O4 Use prepositional phrases Shows this with help from an adult or a picture Does this independently and explains how they know Explains it clearly and uses it in a new situation

Courseversity badge thresholds (overall quiz score): Gold = 90–100%; Silver = 80–89.9%; Bronze = 70–79.9%. A badge is never a full record of progress.

If a learner struggles

  1. Find the misconception: Rushing without checking. Slow down and check your work.
  2. Explain another way: use real objects, pictures or actions first, then words.
  3. Show a simpler example: Re-read the examples slowly and use the sentence frames.
  4. Guided practice: work through one example together and let the learner try the next one.
  5. Reassess: use the quiz again or the worksheet.
  6. Move on when the learner shows Silver-level evidence independently.

For parents and guardians

In this lesson your child practises a key Grade 3 English skill with clear examples and a quiz. You do not need to be an expert to help.

  • Listen while your child explains the idea.
  • Ask for one new example.
  • Praise effort and careful work.
  • Ask “how do you know?” after each answer, and listen.
  • Praise effort, not only right answers. Mistakes are how we learn.
  • Ten to fifteen minutes a day is better than one long session.

Teacher package

1–5. Objectives, prerequisites, materials, preparation, duration

Lesson objectives. Learners will: name common prepositions; show place and direction; show time; use prepositional phrases.

Prerequisite knowledge. Conjunctions.

Materials. Chart paper or board, pencils, picture or word cards, a reading book if available. Low-resource options: use chalk or charcoal on a board or wall, drawings in the sand, and objects from the classroom instead of printed materials.

Preparation. Write the key words and examples on the board or on cards before the lesson.

Suggested duration. 45–60 minutes. It can be split into two shorter sessions.

6–9. Teaching procedure, explanation notes, guided and independent activities

Introduction (5 min). Introduce the idea with the opening example.

Explanation (10 min). Teach the key words.

Guided activity (10 min). Practise together.

Independent activity (10 min). Check understanding with the quiz.

Assessment and reflection (5 min). Ask each learner to say one thing they learned and how they know it.

Key questions. What is the key idea? Can I give my own example?

Teacher explanation notes. Move from the spoken word to pictures and then to print. Read aloud often, point to the words, and let learners hear and say before they read and write.

10–12. Differentiation, formative assessment, common misconceptions

Support. Use the sentence frames and work with a partner. Extension. Create a harder example of your own.

Formative assessment. Listen to learners read and explain, ask “how do you know?”, and check the independent work.

Misconceptions. Rushing without checking. Slow down and check your work.

13–15. Assessment questions, answer keys, marking scheme

Use the quiz, the 11-mark exam practice and the worksheet on this page. All answers and marking guides are in the answer sections above. Re-check every answer before use.

16–19. Remediation, enrichment, homework, teacher reflection

Remediation. Re-read the examples slowly and use the sentence frames. Enrichment. Make up your own example and teach it to someone at home. Homework. See above.

Teacher reflection. After teaching, record: which ideas learners understood; which misconceptions occurred; which activities worked; which learners need more practice; and what to improve next time.

Sources and standards

This lesson is based on the sources below, and no official endorsement is claimed. Reference starting points: Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts, Cambridge Primary and the IB Primary Years Programme. Where a standard code is named, it points to the official framework.

Official standards for this topic area. Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts (official site): Grade 3 » Language. These pages list the standards that cover this topic area; read them alongside the lesson.

Research used to shape this lesson. Common Core L.3.1a and L.3.1i; Cambridge Primary English Stage 3 (grammar). These sources informed the lesson.

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