Let’s be honest for a second. Prepositions are a nightmare.

In my years of teaching IELTS, I’ve seen students write beautiful, complex Band 8 essays—perfect structure, sophisticated vocabulary—only to slip up on the tiny words. They write “discuss about” instead of “discuss,” or “married with” instead of “married to.”

Does it sound familiar? It happens to the best of us.

Here’s the thing: while a single preposition mistake won’t fail you, a pattern of them signals to the examiner that you haven’t quite mastered natural English usage. And in the IELTS Writing and Speaking exams, that difference is often what separates a Band 6.5 from a Band 7.

So, let’s clear up the confusion once and for all. We’re not going to list every preposition in the English language (we’d be here all day!). Instead, we’ll focus on the ones that actually trip students up in the exam.

The “Triangle of Time”: In, On, At

If you visualise these three as a triangle, it gets much easier. Think of General at the bottom (biggest), More Specific in the middle, and Very Specific at the top.

1. IN (The General / Big Picture)

We use “in” for larger periods of time. Think centuries, years, months, and long periods.

• Years: in 2026, in the 1990s
• Months: in February, in April
• Seasons: in summer, in winter
• Parts of the day: in the morning, in the afternoon (Exception: at night)

Example: “There was a significant rise in unemployment in 2024.”

2. ON (More Specific / Days & Dates)

When we get down to specific days, we switch to “on.”

• Days: on Monday, on my birthday
• Dates: on the 9th of February
• Part of a specific day: on Monday morning

Example: “The results will be released on Friday.”

3. AT (Very Specific / Clock Time)

For precise times or specific points, use “at.”

• Clock time: at 8:00 AM, at midday
• Specific moments: at that moment, at the beginning of the lecture

Example: “The exam starts at 9:00 AM sharp.”

Place Prepositions: Where exactly are we?

Place prepositions follow a similar logic, but with physical space.

• IN (Enclosed spaces): in the library, in London, in the car.
• ON (Surfaces): on the table, on the floor, on the bus (public transport usually takes ‘on’).
• AT (Specific points): at the bus stop, at the door, at the university.

Examiner Tip: Be careful with “arrive.” We arrive in cities/countries (arrive in London), but we arrive at specific places (arrive at the airport). We never “arrive to” somewhere.

The Tricky Pairs That Cost Marks

These are the ones I see mixed up constantly in Task 1 and Task 2 essays.

Between vs. Among

You’ve probably heard that between is for two things and among is for more. That’s mostly true, but it’s simpler to think of it like this:

• Use between when you name distinct, individual items (even if there are more than two).
  “The negotiations between the UK, France, and Germany were successful.”
• Use among when the items are part of a group or mass.
  “There was a sense of panic among the students.”

By vs. Until

This is a classic grammar mistake in Task 1 writing when describing trends.

• By means “not later than.” It describes a deadline or an end result.
  “The population had doubled by 2020.” (It happened sometime before 2020).
• Until describes the duration of an action up to a point.
  “The population continued to rise until 2020.” (The rising action happened continuously up to that year).

Dependent Prepositions: The “Collocation” Secret

This is where English gets annoying (sorry!). Many verbs and adjectives are just “married” to specific prepositions. There’s no strict logic here; you just have to learn them as pairs.

Here are the most common ones you’ll need for IELTS:

Verbs + Prepositions

• Focus on (not focus in)
  “This essay will focus on the causes of pollution.”
• Succeed in (+ -ing) (not succeed to)
  “Many students succeed in getting their target score.”
• Depend on (not depend of or in)
  “Success depends on your preparation.”
• Spend money/time on (not for)
  “Governments should spend more money on education.”

Adjectives + Prepositions

• Interested in (not on)
  “I am interested in studying history.”
• Responsible for (not of)
  “Parents are responsible for their children’s behaviour.”
• Aware of (not about)
  “We need to be aware of the consequences.”

Check the Cambridge Dictionary if you’re ever unsure about which preposition matches a verb.

How to Practise This (Without Going Crazy)

Don’t try to memorise long lists of prepositions in isolation. It won’t stick.

Instead, learn chunks of language. When you learn the word “responsible,” don’t just write “responsible” in your notebook. Write “responsible FOR.”

When you’re reading practice articles or listening to podcasts (like those from the British Council), pay attention to the little words. Circle them. Ask yourself, “Why did they use at here and not in?”

Try this quick exercise next time you write an essay:

1. Write your draft naturally.
2. When you edit, scan specifically for prepositions.
3. Check your “dependent prepositions”—did you use the right partner for the verb?

Remember, mastering these small connecting words can make a massive difference to the flow and accuracy of your IELTS Speaking and Writing. It shows control, and that’s exactly what examiners are looking for.

You’ve got this! Keep practising, and those tricky prepositions will start to feel natural in no time.

Need help with other grammar topics? Check out our guide on Relative Clauses or Conditionals for Band 7+.