Free grammar and vocabulary worksheet generators

Prepositions Worksheet Generator

Practise prepositions of time and place with a new printable worksheet every time, answer key included.

This prepositions worksheet generator makes printable prepositions worksheets right in your web browser. It is free, needs no sign-up, and nothing you create is uploaded or sent to a server.

You can build a preposition practice sheet from five exercise types: prepositions of time (in, on, at), prepositions of place (such as across, along, behind, near, over and into), mixed choose-the-preposition items, find-the-prepositions, and find-the-prepositional-phrase. Choose a level of Easy, Medium or Hard to suit grades 3 to 8 or ESL learners from beginner to upper-intermediate. The sheet appears in a live preview as you work, and you can print it on US Letter or A4 paper.

How to use the Prepositions Worksheet Generator

  1. Choose a level: Easy (grades 3–4 or ESL beginner), Medium (grades 5–6 or ESL intermediate) or Hard (grades 7–8 or ESL upper-intermediate).
  2. Set the first exercise. Pick an exercise type and a number of questions from 3 to 30. If the exercise has fewer items at that level, the number is lower.
  3. Click “Add another exercise” for more exercises, up to six on one worksheet.
  4. Type a worksheet title and choose US Letter or A4 paper.
  5. Turn on the options you need: Name and date line, Number the questions, Word bank (for exercises that have one), and Add the answer key when printing.
  6. For copies with different questions, set Different versions from 1 to 10.
  7. Check the preview on the right. It changes as soon as you change a setting. Click “New worksheet” to get new questions with the same settings.
  8. Click “Print worksheet” to print the sheet. Click “Print answer key” to print only the key.

“Copy link” gives you an address that opens exactly the same worksheet, so you can reprint it later or send it to a colleague. To use the sheet on screen, click “Practice online.” Students tap a choice, type an answer or tap a word, then “Check answers” marks each item right or wrong and shows the correct answers and a score. “Try again” resets it. Free-writing items are not scored.

When do you use in, on and at?

Use at with clock times and points of the day, on with days and dates, and in with months, years, seasons and parts of the day. These three rules cover most time phrases on a preposition in and on worksheet.

  • at: at 7 o’clock, at noon, at midnight, at night
  • on: on Monday, on May 5, on December 25
  • in: in July, in 2020, in winter, in the morning

Night is the one to watch. We say “at night,” but “in the morning” and “in the afternoon.” In the sentence “Owls hunt for food at night,” the phrase names a point in the day, so at fits. In “The new library opens on May 5,” the phrase names a date, so on fits.

Some time phrases differ between American and British English, such as on the weekend and at the weekend. The tool leaves these out so that every item has one answer that matches American usage.

What is a prepositional phrase?

A prepositional phrase starts with a preposition and ends with its object, which is a noun or pronoun, plus any words that describe that object. The whole group works as one unit, usually telling where, when or how something happens, or which noun it describes.

Examples include around the big pond, with colored pencils and through the dark forest. In “We rowed around the big pond,” the preposition is around, the object is pond, and the big describes it. A pronoun can also be the object, as in “This book belongs to me,” where to me is the phrase.

To find a prepositional phrase, first locate the preposition. Then read forward to the noun or pronoun it leads to, and include any words that describe it. Stop before the verb or the next new idea begins. The phrase never contains the verb, so around the big pond is a phrase, but rowed is not part of it.

Frequently asked questions

Do the worksheets come with answers?

Yes. Turn on “Add the answer key when printing” and the key prints on its own page after the worksheet. If you use Different versions, each version has its own answer key.

Can I get the worksheet as a PDF?

Yes. Click “Print worksheet,” choose “Save as PDF” in the print window, set the scale to 100 %, and turn off headers and footers.

Is the prepositions worksheet generator free, and do I need an account?

It is free and needs no sign-up. It runs in your web browser, and nothing is uploaded or sent to a server.

Can students practice on screen instead of on paper?

Yes. Click “Practice online” and students tap a choice, type an answer or tap a word. “Check answers” marks each item right or wrong and shows a score. Free-writing items are not scored.

Which level should I pick?

Choose Easy for grades 3–4 or ESL beginners, Medium for grades 5–6 or ESL intermediate, and Hard for grades 7–8 or ESL upper-intermediate. The level changes which sentences and words are used.

Are the practice sentences checked, and which spelling is used?

The sentences were written for the site and checked by hand. Forms such as plurals, verb tenses, comparatives and contractions come from tested rules. Spelling and punctuation follow American English.