Preposition of time: Next to, under, between, in front of, behind, over

Overview

Prepositions of place like next to, under, between, in front of, behind, and over are used to describe where things are located in relation to other objects. These prepositions are essential in both English and Kazakh, though the structure may differ. In Kazakh, locative cases often replace the need for prepositions.

Example:

🇬🇧 “We use prepositions to describe the position of objects.”

🇰🇿 “Біз заттардың орнын сипаттау үшін орын үстеулерін қолданамыз.”

Explanation

Affirmative Form

Prepositions of place are used after a verb to indicate where something is located.

Examples:

• 🇬🇧 “The cat is next to the dog.”
• 🇰🇿 “Мысық иттің жанында отыр.”
• 🇬🇧 “The book is under the table.”
• 🇰🇿 “Кітап үстелдің астында жатыр.”
• 🇬🇧 “The chair is between the table and the window.”
• 🇰🇿 “Орындық үстел мен терезенің арасында тұр.”
• 🇬🇧 “The car is in front of the house.”
• 🇰🇿 “Көлік үйдің алдында тұр.”
• 🇬🇧 “The child is hiding behind the door.”
• 🇰🇿 “Бала есіктің артында жасырынып тұр.”
• 🇬🇧 “The plane is flying over the city.”
• 🇰🇿 “Ұшақ қаланың үстінен ұшып барады.”

Negative Form

In negative sentences, we use “not” to negate the location of the object.

Examples:

• 🇬🇧 “The cat is not next to the dog.”
• 🇰🇿 “Мысық иттің жанында емес.”
• 🇬🇧 “The book is not under the table.”
• 🇰🇿 “Кітап үстелдің астында емес.”

Question Form

In questions, prepositions of place follow the subject and verb.

Examples:

• 🇬🇧 “Is the book under the table?”
• 🇰🇿 “Кітап үстелдің астында ма?”
• 🇬🇧 “Is the cat next to the dog?”
• 🇰🇿 “Мысық иттің жанында ма?”

Examples

Here are some examples that demonstrate how to use prepositions of place in both English and Kazakh:

• 🇬🇧 “The car is parked behind the building.”
• 🇰🇿 “Көлік ғимараттың артында тұр.”
• 🇬🇧 “The keys are next to the phone.”
• 🇰🇿 “Кілттер телефонның жанында жатыр.”
• 🇬🇧 “The children are playing between the trees.”
• 🇰🇿 “Балалар ағаштардың арасында ойнап жүр.”

Exceptions

Some prepositions of place might not have direct translations into Kazakh due to differences in how locations are described using cases in Kazakh grammar.

Example:

• In English, we say “in front of” for location, but in Kazakh, it might use the locative or ablative case without a separate preposition.
• 🇬🇧 “The car is in front of the house.”
• 🇰🇿 “Көлік үйдің алдында тұр.”

Common Mistakes

Kazakh speakers learning English might confuse prepositions of place or omit them, as the Kazakh language often relies on case endings instead of separate prepositions.

Example:

• Mistake: 🇬🇧 “The cat is in the table.”
• Correction: 🇬🇧 “The cat is on the table.”
• Explanation: “On” is used when something is resting on a surface, not “in.”

Practice Exercises

Try the following exercises to test your understanding of prepositions of place:

• Fill-in-the-blank:
  🇬🇧 “The chair is _____ (next to/under/behind) the desk.”
• Multiple choice:
  🇬🇧 “The cat is _____ the bed.”
  • a) next to
  • b) behind
  • c) under
• Sentence correction:
  🇬🇧 “The car is next to the house.” Correct the preposition.
• Error identification:
  🇬🇧 “She is hiding over the door.” Identify and correct the mistake.
• Open-ended sentence creation: Write a sentence using the preposition “between.”

Quiz Section

• 1. The bike is _____ the wall.
• 2. We parked the car _____ the tree and the fence.
• 3. The lamp is _____ the table.

You Have Learned

After studying this lesson, you will have learned:

• How to use prepositions of place like next to, under, between, in front of, behind, and over correctly in sentences.
• How to avoid common mistakes when translating from Kazakh to English.
• The importance of understanding the differences in how location is expressed in Kazakh and English.
  

Answer Key