B1 PRELIMINARY · GRAMMAR · READING PART 6 & WRITING
Prepositions: in, on, at and more
Time and place (in July, on Monday, at 6) and words that go with prepositions (good at, interested in).
Finn says
Prepositions are tiny, but they appear in almost every Reading Part 6 text. Learn the patterns for time and place, and some common pairs, and you'll get easy marks.
Time
in
months, years, seasons, parts of the day
in July, in 2025, in winter, in the morning
on
days and dates
on Monday, on 3rd May, on my birthday
at
times and some fixed phrases
at 6 o'clock, at the weekend, at night
Place
in
inside a space, cities and countries
in the kitchen, in London
on
surfaces, floors, streets
on the table, on the second floor
at
a point or a place for an activity
at the bus stop, at school, at home
Words that go with prepositions
Adjective + preposition
good at, interested in, afraid of, proud of
I'm interested in photography.
Verb + preposition
listen to, wait for, look for, depend on
We waited for the bus for an hour.
How it comes up in Part 6
In Reading Part 6 you write one word in each gap. The missing words are often small grammar words like these.
My birthday is in June.
Months: in.
The film starts at eight o'clock.
Times: at.
Are you interested in joining the club?
interested in + -ing.
Common mistakes
- ✗ See you in Monday!✓ See you on Monday!Days: on.
- ✗ I am good in maths.✓ I am good at maths.We say 'good at'.
- ✗ I arrived to London yesterday.✓ I arrived in London yesterday.Arrive in (a city) / arrive at (a building).
Finn's exam tip
Learn prepositions with the word before them: not just 'in', but 'interested in'; not just 'for', but 'wait for'. Write them in your notebook as pairs.
Quick check
Write one word in each gap.
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