Prepositions of Time

Prepositions of Time: before, after, between, by, up to

Prepositions of time are words that denote a reference to time. Common prepositions of time are before, after, between, by, and up to.

Before

Examples:
Everybody is nervous before examinations.
Please visit us before you leave for the United States.
I always have breakfast before going to work.

After

Examples:
After doing the shopping, they went home.
I started work after reading the newspaper.
John went to Australia after his pre-university studies.

Between

Examples:
I will phone you between lunch and three o’clock.
Yesterday between one o’clock and three o’clock, the police searched the suspect’s house.
You are advised to abstain from eating anything between lunch and dinner.

By

Examples:
By the time we had walked five miles, he was exhausted.
I am sure that the syllabus will be covered by the end of the school term.

Up to

Examples:
Up to last week, I had not received a reply.
I chatted with my friend right up to midnight.

Worksheet

Fill in the blanks with before, after, up to, by or between as the case may be.

• I felt sick ……… eating too much chocolate.
• ………… visiting a foreign country, it is good to learn a few words of the language of that country.
• You will receive a call from the employment agency …………. ten and eleven tomorrow morning.
• The chief examiner was observing the entire group of examinees right …….. the end of the examination.
• Do you watch television ………. dinner?
• Please do not take any snacks ………….breakfast and lunch.
• The crowd was restless …………… the concert began.
• The counselor spoke to the client …………… lunchtime.
• One reason for obesity is snacking …………. meals.
• ……………. I went to sleep, I read a few pages of ‘Gone with the Wind’.
• Please pay the school fee ….. the end of the term.

Answers

• I felt sick after eating too much chocolate.
• Before visiting a foreign country, it is good to learn a few words of the language of that country.
• You will receive a call from the employment agency between ten and eleven tomorrow morning.
• The chief examiner was observing the entire group of examinees right up to the end of the examination.
• Do you watch television after dinner?
• Please do not take any snacks between breakfast and lunch.
• The crowd was restless before the concert began.
• The counselor spoke to the client up to lunchtime.
• One reason for obesity is snacking between meals.
• Before I went to sleep, I read a few pages of ‘Gone with the Wind’.
• Please pay the school fee by the end of the term.