Prepositions & Articles

Prepositions and articles are small words that cause big headaches for Nepali speakers learning English. Since Nepali handles these concepts differently, paying extra attention to the rules will give you a significant advantage in your English writing.

Prepositions

Prepositions show the relationship between a noun and other words -- they describe time, place, direction, and manner.

Prepositions of Time

• at: specific times (at 3 PM, at noon, at night)
• on: days and dates (on Monday, on March 15, on New Year's Day)
• in: months, years, seasons, longer periods (in January, in 2025, in the morning)

Prepositions of Place

• at: specific points (at school, at the bus stop, at home)
• on: surfaces (on the table, on the wall, on the floor)
• in: enclosed spaces (in the room, in Kathmandu, in the box)

Common Errors for Nepali Speakers

• Wrong: "I am in home." Correct: "I am at home."
• Wrong: "She arrived in Monday." Correct: "She arrived on Monday."
• Wrong: "He is good in English." Correct: "He is good at English."
• Wrong: "I went in the market." Correct: "I went to the market."
• Wrong: "She married with him." Correct: "She married him." (no preposition needed)

Articles (a, an, the)

Indefinite Articles: a/an

Used before singular countable nouns when mentioning something for the first time or when the specific identity does not matter.

• a before consonant sounds: a book, a university (starts with "yoo" sound)
• an before vowel sounds: an apple, an hour (silent 'h')

Definite Article: the

Used when both speaker and listener know which specific thing is being discussed.

• "I saw a dog. The dog was brown." (second mention)
• "The sun rises in the east." (only one sun)
• "The students in our class" (specific group)

Zero Article (no article needed)

• Before uncountable nouns in general: "Water is important." (not "The water is important" when speaking generally)
• Before plural nouns used generally: "Dogs are loyal."
• Before proper nouns (usually): "Nepal is beautiful." "Mount Everest is tall."
• Before meals, languages, sports: "I had lunch." "She speaks Nepali." "He plays cricket."

Tip: When in doubt, ask yourself: Am I talking about something specific (use 'the') or something general/new (use 'a/an' or no article)?

Key Takeaways

• Prepositions of time: at (specific time), on (day/date), in (month/year/season)
• Prepositions of place: at (point), on (surface), in (enclosed space)
• Use 'a/an' for first mention or non-specific; 'the' for specific or known things
• No article for general statements with uncountable or plural nouns